Legacy Saga: Genesis
by Lady Artimes Blaine
Summary: A love story for the ages and a legend woven throughout time and space. A woman from another reality has her fate intertwined with the savior of worlds, The Doctor. Many obstacles she must face and so many lives she must save. One question remains, the question that burns in the stars: What sort of legacy will she leave behind when her time finally comes? *First in the Legacy Saga*
1. Prologue: An Ordinary Human Or Not?

Lady A: Hello everyone and welcome to Legacy Saga: Genesis! This story will be a true time/space jumper fic, encompassing all of the Doctor's regenerations! So if you're not in to the Classic Who or only want Nine and beyond then this fic is not for you, but for everyone else that wants to see all the lives in one story or should I say a Saga of stories then this is definitely for you! For the first part, it's just a prologue and it is giving mostly the background information on the time/space jumping original character, Artimes Blaine. Also updates will be slow because since I'm doing all the lives, I will be attempting to make each chapter an episode and that takes a while to both write and type. Now enough of my rambling. Let's get on with the show!

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><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything affiliated with the show. I'm simply using it for my own personal enjoyment. This disclaimer will only appear here with the prologue.<p>

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><p>Prologue: An Ordinary Human…Or Not?<p>

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><p>Artimes Blaine was just an ordinary girl with an ordinary life…well not really, but it was certainly normal…or as normal as you could get while living in the twenty first century and in America of all places. She was twenty five years old with dark blonde hair and forest green eyes. She was short for her age at only around five foot, three and a half inches. She had a curvy figure and her hair was down to her middle back, usually in a single braid.<p>

She was currently living with her mother in Florida because she was jobless and drowning in student loans. An unfortunate side effect of failing out of college three times. Her high functioning autism and ADD made it difficult for her to get a job and actually keep it. She was pretty much friendless with the exception of her best mate, Scott Davis, but all the others had moved on to bigger and brighter things and she was left behind in yet another rut.

Her father lived in Mississippi and worked as a technical sergeant on an Air Force base. Her elder brother was getting married for a second time, much to her chagrin. He had already told her that she was going to be at the wedding whether she wanted to be there or not, something about how he needed the support from the only member of the family who actually gave a damn about him. Her mother was a pharmacy technician for Winn-Dixie and had been for almost sixteen years, outlasting her last four bosses…one of which she had worked with twice.

Her grandmother and current matriarch of the family, retired as she was, was always busy with her Women's Bible Study, her work as assistant church clerk, choir practice and the like, and was a member of Eastern Star, the female version of the Free Masons. Any spare time she might have had was spent taking care of the overgrown child that was her husband and the ridiculous amount of mess he made by simply living in the house.

Her mother's youngest brother was married and had several kids, all of which were a handful. He only called when he wanted money or some other favor. Her mother's eldest brother had recently gotten married to a Londoner and had brought her and her son, Satan's hell spawn, over from the United Kingdom. They lived next door in a silver house and boy, was it annoying. Never could seem to get a quiet moment without something banging in protest or the boy being yelled at for his unruly behavior or him yelling back at his parents for some reason or another.

This was her life and she didn't minded most of it, because her family had a tendency to leave her on her own or simply ignored her. She wasn't all that important at times and any desire she had was commonly overlooked. It didn't stop her from loving her family any less and yes, it was indeed dysfunctional but they were her family and she wouldn't trade any of them for the world. She was simply too kind for her own good and always put others before herself, usually resulting in people taking advantage of her kindness.

In all honesty, she just wanted someone to love her and think her worthwhile. Just one person would be all that she would need. Problem was finding that one person. No one measured up to the one man who had stolen her heart…a man who was entirely fictional. That man was the Doctor, the hero of her favorite show, Doctor Who. She spent most of her time reading or writing fan fiction for the DW verse also referred to as the Whoniverse. She didn't have a boyfriend because no one could compare to that remarkable and impossible man with his bigger on the inside blue box.

Artimes was currently in her backyard, lying on a blanket with her arms under her head as a pillow. She was found there almost every night, gazing up at the stars and wishing for something amazing to happen. Little did she know about the events that were about to unfold on that very night, the night that would change her life forever. She would travel the stars, fly through time, fight in epic battles, save countless lives, and be loved by the champion of the stars, the hero of time, and the savior of worlds.

She wished upon a shooting star and slowly drifted off to sleep under the starry sky. She was completely unaware of the golden light that began to shine around her, dancing to its own melody. As it flowed into her body, it changed from gold to silver. The light vanished and her along with it, the blanket where she once laid being completely undisturbed by her sudden disappearance.

Thus was the beginning of the legend woven throughout time and space, a love story for the ages…the story of The Doctor and his Artz.

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><p>Lady A: And there you have it! The prologue of the Legacy Saga: Genesis is complete! Leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter 1: The Rings of Ahkaten! Stay tuned!<p> 


	2. Chapter 1: The Rings of Akhaten

Lady A: Hey everyone and welcome back to Legacy Saga: Genesis! Barreled through the chapter for you guys and hand written, it was forty pages! So be prepared for a LONG chapter! Also, quick note, the romance will be seem a bit strong because we are so far into the Doctor's future and Artimes doesn't have the heart to tell him that this is the first time they ever met. She goes along with him and tries to write off the whole thing like she is early in her time stream as opposed to her actual first jump. Trust me, Chapter 2: The Unearthly Child will show you that not everything is always sunshine and daises between the pair. Anyways, I am apparently rambling so I'm going to quit talking now.

Brief Recap: We learn quite a bit about the young woman who would soon have her life turned upside down, inside out, and tossed into a blender.

Looking Forward: Artimes meets the Doctor, finds out many things, and eventually figures out she is some sort of time/space jumper and jumps randomly along the Doctor's timeline…_all_ of his timeline, all the Doctors. Things go haywire when 'Grandfather' begins to awaken and Artimes starts to alter the course of events or perhaps just the people. Will they defeat 'Grandfather' or will her presence in the timeline shatter all hope of success?

Let's find out! On with the show!

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><p>Chapter One: The Rings of Akhaten<p>

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><p>Artimes awoke on a hard metal surface. She sat up with her eyes closed, trying to figure out what happened to her blanket and wondering what that strange humming noise was. It didn't sound like a hummingbird but more like machinery. She stood up and beginning rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. How many times was she going to fall asleep outside? That had to be the fourth time that week. She frowned when she opened her eyes and saw the metal flooring and not grass. Her gaze shifted up and she went slack jawed. She wasn't outside anymore but in some kind of corridor.<p>

Her fear spiked for a moment before she recognized the décor. It reminded her of the Tardis…well exactly like the Tardis. It looked to be the Post-Pond desktop, the whole silver and blue tech phase the Doctor had gone through. She immediately scoffed, thinking it was nothing more than a very vivid dream, but then she pinched herself. She hissed in pain and decided that she was definitely not dreaming. She knew she hadn't ingested any hallucinogenics or drugs, so that ruled out that she was tripping on something. She highly doubted that it was a psychotic episode because that would imply that she was mentally unstable. She may be good with weird and very laid back when it comes to craziness but she was not clinically insane.

'Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true.' -Sherlock Holmes

Artimes sighed, running a hand through her dark blonde locks. At this point, she could do with a little impossible. The most logical and efficient course of action to take would be to find the Doctor. If this was truly the Tardis then the Doctor should be somewhere, though with the Tardis being an infinite dimension that may take a while. As of right now, he was the only one who could tell her how she got here and why she was here.

She moved along through the corridors, silently cursing the infinite maze. She had no idea where the control room might be and she wasn't entirely certain if the Tardis was telepathic like in the show. She was about to turn down another hallway when she felt a warmth brush against her mind, making her jump at the sudden intrusion.

'Sexy?' She called out mentally, hoping that it was the sentient time ship that had entered her mind and not something else.

The blonde received another brush against her mind, a sense of love and amusement filling her thoughts. She giggled at the sensation and relaxed. She looked up at the ceiling in awe and wonder. The Old Girl could hear her and seemed to like her a lot. She felt another brush against her mind and it felt like almost a motherly embrace. Make that love then. The Tardis seemed to honestly love her which was a relief. She didn't really want to be on bad terms with the sentient time ship.

'Can you help me find Theta, please?' Artimes asked politely.

A trail of golden energy appeared, growing longer as it continued down another corridor. The blonde followed the energy, dissipating as it flowed behind her. After a few minutes, she reached the control room and her eyes widened slightly. The control room was absolutely gorgeous and she was totally loving how the Gallifreyan language was integrated with the moving layers in the ceiling just above the time rotor and main console. The rest of the energy vanished as she thanked the Tardis for her help. The Old Girl brushed against her mind once more as her way of saying 'Your welcome'.

She caught sight of the Doctor in his Victorian like outfit. He was staring at the monitor with his back to her. He shifted slightly to the side and she saw the image of Clara in Victorian London.

"She's just a girl. How can she be?" The Doctor asked sounding very confused.

She immediately recognized this scene from the series. It was the beginning of Series 7, Episode 7: The Rings of Akhaten. Her attention returned to the Timelord as he flipped a switch on the console. The image of the monitor changed to Oswin Oswald's credentials for the starship Alaska.

"She can't be." He stated becoming more frustrated.

He flipped the switch again and the monitor flickered over to an image of Clara Oswald in a graduation gown, throwing her cap into the air.

"She is! She can't be!" He exclaimed pushing the monitor away and turning around, still not noticing the blonde's presence, "She's not possible."

Artimes smirked slightly and decided to pull a Sherlock.

"Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remaining, however improbable, must be true." The blonde piped up walking into his line of sight.

The Doctor finally took notice of her and instead of demanding who she was and how she got in the Tardis, he grinned widely, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Artz!" He cried out joyfully, rushing up to her and kissing her.

She had no time to react to the kiss because he was already dragging her over to the console. He released her hand and started fiddling with the controls.

"So! Where am I going to take my absolutely beautiful and amazing wife today, hm? We can pop over to Rigelia 4 again and visit that restaurant you love so much or perhaps a visit to Pexal 9 and go shopping in the intergalactic market….oh I know! How about Akhaten? We haven't been there in a very long while! Yeah, Akhaten is perfect!" He rambled looking very much like a kid at Christmas.

She was smiling but on the inside she was trying to comprehend everything he was saying. They had obviously met before or at least he had met a future version of herself, they apparently travel together a lot, and oh he called her his wife. Seriously, his wife?! She had never seemed like the marrying type…well more like no one ever showed her that level of love and devotion to even want to get married. She really wanted to know how it happened or the slightly more important question of _when_ it happened.

She opened her mouth to ask the questions burning in her mind, but quickly had to shut it and hold on tight as he started piloting the Tardis, dashing about the console like a mad man. She couldn't help the grin that slid onto her face as she watched him. Her eyes followed every movement he made, seeing the years of experience and fluidity of motion in every single action. He may act like a childish and completely mad fool, but his movements revealed a very different story. He was quite incredible and she could feel the happiness beginning to bubble up inside of her.

He noticed her eyes on him and he grinned at her again, his eyes alight with so much joy. He seemed so genuinely happy that she was there and for the first time in forever, Artimes felt like she belonged. He flipped another lever, a manic grin on his face, and they came to a sudden halt, both of them losing their grip and falling to the floor in laughter. He was on his feet in a flash and helped her up. The moment she was fully in his arms, he kissed her again, much more gentle and slow. She honestly had no idea how to react but she was being kissed by the Doctor of all people and she wasn't about to waste such a golden opportunity. She kissed him back, but allowed him to lead the kiss. In his mind, she was his wife, but in hers, they were pretty much strangers yet somehow kissing him seemed so completely right. She would worry about the whole wife thing later.

"I'll go and ring Clara. I'll be right back." He promised before dashing out of the Tardis.

Artimes touched her still tingling lips. That had been her first kiss…well first and second actually. She frowned when she caught sight of the two silver streaks in the front part of her hair. How did she get silver in her hair? She reached up and twirled it a bit with her right hand. She froze when she remembered that she hadn't told him that this was their first time ever meeting. She touched her lips again and she made a quick decision. She wouldn't tell the Doctor about it. She just couldn't…she didn't want him to be sad. He had lost so much already and he had just lost the Ponds not too long ago. She couldn't take this from him too. She would play along and write the whole thing off as simply her being early in her timeline.

She lowered her hand hastily when the Doctor rushed back in. He grabbed her about the waist and spun her into a dipped position, making her laugh at his antics. He kissed her again before bringing her back up into a standing position. He kept his arms wrapped around her as Clara entered the Tardis and walked around, full of excitement. The Doctor started working the controls, keeping Artimes with him at all times. She noticed how he always seemed to be in some kind of physical contact with her…almost like she would disappear the moment he let her go. What could cause such a reaction in the Doctor like that?

"So we're moving through actual time?" Clara asked joining them at the console.

"Yup." The blonde answered popping the 'p' like Ten would do from time to time.

The Doctor kissed her cheek unexpectedly and she giggled, her cheeks warming slightly.

"So what's it made of? Time? If you can just rotor through it, it must be made of stuff, like jam's made of strawberries. So what's it made of?" The brunette hounded her curiosity in full swing.

It was a very interesting question and most people wouldn't have asked it. Artimes hadn't even thought to ask it and she wasn't quite sure if she had an answer for it either…unless it had something to do with Huon particles and Artron energy?

"Well not strawberries. No. No, no, no. That would be unacceptable." The Doctor answered not really answering the question as he dragged Artimes around the console.

Clara went around the other way hastily.

"And we can go anywhere?" The brunette asked.

"Within reason. Well, I say reason…" He trailed off.

"We can't go back into our own personal timelines. That's a big no no. We can't cross into established events except for cheap tricks. No mucking up with a fixed point in time unless aliens are trying to prevent history from happening. Oh and we can't got to our own graves because that would cause a massive paradox and end all life in the universe." Artimes rambled counting things off with her right hand.

"Well I did say within reason, Artz." He countered pouting.

She giggled at his childish behavior and kissed his cheek, watching how his face brightened immediately.

"So, we could go backwards in time?" Clara asked seemingly at ease with the odd couple.

"And space. Yes." The Timelord answered still wanting to go to Akhaten.

"And forwards in time." The brunette continued completely disregarding the whole space option.

Artimes had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

"And space. Totally. So, where do you want to go, eh?" He asked dragging Artimes around the console so that they were now facing Clara on the opposite side, "What do you want to see?"

The dark haired woman opened her mouth, only to shut it quickly. Her eyes seemed to go completely blank.

"I don't know. You know when someone asks you your favorite book and you forget every book you've read?" Clara asked.

"No. Totally not." He answered making Artimes snort slightly from trying to contain her laughter.

"Well. That's a thing. That happens." She replied.

"Respect the thing." The blonde commented quoting him.

He smiled at her and tightened his grasp on her, making her giggle. She blushed bright red when he whispered something rather naughty into her ear. She swallowed hard and tried to not to think about what he had just suggested…though she kind of wanted to, it sounded like it would be fun and uh…stimulating. She mentally scolded herself for falling so easily to his charm.

"Back to the question. Where do you want to go, Clara? Anything that ever happened or ever will, where do you want to start?" Artimes asked quoting Eleven yet again.

"Ok. So…so…so…" The brunette started hurrying over to the door, her back to them.

Artimes wasn't really paying much attention because the Doctor was running his hands across her body in very suggestive ways and was kissing her jaw, neck and shoulder. She was trembling from the strange and very pleasurable sensations coursing through her body. The only thought bouncing around her head was that he didn't know that this was her very first time with him ever and technically he was a stranger to her, but God if she didn't love the way he moved. She managed to focus on the fact that Clara was in the room and she managed to step away from him, forcing him to face the oblivious brunette.

"Behave." The blonde hissed under her breath, still quite flustered and her cheeks were burning like mad.

He simply smirked at her and she huffed silently and rolled her eyes.

"So, I'd like to see…I would like to see…what I would like to see is…" Clara ranted turning to face them, "…something awesome."

The Doctor put his hands in the air, snapped his fingers, and then put the Tardis into motion.

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><p>The Doctor opened the Tardis door, ushering Clara outside who had her eyes closed. Artimes followed behind them, closing the door and keeping herself directly behind them to block out the view. She wanted her first view of the fantastical world she had dropped into to be a surprise.<p>

"Can you feel the light on your eyelids?" The Doctor asked guiding the brunette further out.

"Mm hm." She hummed in response.

"That's the light of an alien sun." Artimes piped up, stealing one of the Doctor's lines.

She couldn't help it…the urge was simply too hard to resist.

"Forward a couple of steps." He instructed positioning the brunette into the perfect position, "Ok. Are you ready?"

"Yes. No. Yes." Clara spoke quickly, both excited and nervous.

Artimes's heart was thudding hard in her chest, the echoes rippling across her torso giving her the illusion of having two hearts for a moment. She felt the same way as Clara…it was exhilarating. Clara opened her eyes as the blonde stepped up beside her, getting her first look at the astronomical miracle before her eyes

"Welcome to the Rings of Akhaten." The Doctor stated a small amount of pride and smugness in his voice.

They were standing on a large chunk of rock, which Artimes knew to be an asteroid that was part of a set of rings circling a large sun. One asteroid was larger than the others and had a city practically built into it.

"It's…" Clara started words failing her.

The blonde simply stared in wonder, her forest green eyes glistening with tears. She had always wanted to see the stars and now there she was doing just that. There were no words to describe the plethora of emotions surging through her system.

"It is. It so completely is, but wait! There's more." He continued.

"More what?" The brunette asked.

How was Clara even talking at that moment? Artimes had lost her voice and didn't seem to be able to find it.

"Wait, wait, wait." He started checking his watch, "In about five, four, three, two…"

The asteroids passed and revealed another with a large pyramid, shining as the light from the sun hit it. At the sight of the pyramid, the blonde's blood froze. She remembered what happened in this episode, more importantly about what was going to happen to Merry and to the Doctor.

"What is it?" Clara asked in awe.

"The Pyramid of Akhaten. It's a holy site for the Sun singers of Akhet." Artimes blurted out, her voice finally returning.

The Doctor grinned at her and she blushed slightly.

"The who of what?" The brunette asked confused.

The Timelord nodded for Artimes to answer the question and the blonde felt a certain thrill of being able to use the information that was deemed as useless in her reality.

"Seven worlds orbiting the same star. All of them sharing a belief that life in the universe originated here…on that planet." The Blonde answered earning a proud look from the Doctor.

"All life?" Clara echoed.

"In the universe." The Timelord replied.

"Did it?" The brunette asked earning a snort of disbelief from the blonde.

"Well, it's what they believe. It's a nice story." He answered echoing the blonde's sentiment.

"Can we see it? Up close?" Clara asked excitedly.

The Doctor smiled and held out his hands. Both girls took one of his hands and he led them back into the Tardis.

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><p>The Tardis materialized hidden behind some stalls off the main avenue. The Doctor hurried the girls out of the Tardis, smiling with glee. Both girls stopped short when they saw all the different kinds of aliens. The brunette walked a little ahead of the pair, her eyes darting around in wonder. Artimes was feeling a tad uncomfortable being around so many people. She had no problem with the fact that they were aliens, but there were just so many of them. She had spent a great deal of her life being on her own, so she wasn't used to crowds. The Doctor sensed her discomfort and wrapped his right arm around her waist, bringing her close to him.<p>

"You okay?" He asked his eyes full of worry.

"Yeah. There's just a lot of people is all." She answered sheepishly, looking down at her feet in embarrassment.

"You never do like crowds. Don't worry, you're safe with me…I promise." He replied lifting her chin with his left hand and kissing her gently.

He pulled away when Clara came back over to them.

"Where are they from?" The brunette asked.

"Oh, you know, the local system mostly." He answered nonchalantly.

"What do I call them?" Clara asked honestly curious.

Artimes smiled softly at her enthusiasm. Seeing the blonde's smile, the Doctor relaxed a little. He would have to take her to someplace quiet afterwards, maybe to the Forests of Cheem. He remembered that she had a particular fondness for that planet and its people.

"Well, let's see. There go some Panbabylonians. A Lugal-Irra-Kush. Some Lucanians. A Hooloovoo." He started pointing or gesturing to each in turn, "Ah! Qom Vo Tivig. That chap's a Terraberserker of the Kodion Belt. You don't see many of them around anymore. Oh! That's an Ultramancer. You know, I forget how much I like it here. Artz, we should come here more often, shouldn't we?"

He seemed to be asking for her permission and she was honestly touched by his consideration of her feelings. She smiled at him and nodded. He grinned like an idiot and kissed the top of her head.

"You've been here before?" Clara asked.

"Yes, we came here a long time ago with my granddaughter, Artz's idea." He answered heading off and dragging the blonde with him through the crowd.

"Hang on!" The brunette called chasing after them.

Artimes dragged the Doctor over to a vendor, selling glowing blue spherical shaped fruit in bowls. He beamed at her in excitement and she giggled. She hadn't laughed or enjoyed herself this much in a very long time…if ever, now that she thought about it. Clara finally joined them and gave the glowing fruit a questionable look.

"Exotic fruit of some description." He explained pulling out his sonic screwdriver and scanning it briefly, "Non-toxic. Non-hallucinogenic. High in free radicals and low in other stuff, I shouldn't wonder."

Artimes eyed the fruit wearily. She had never had alien food before and she was a little hesitant to try it, but one look at the Timelord's hopeful expression had her taking a bite. She made a slightly sour face, wanting nothing more than to spit it out, but managed to swallow it nonetheless. That had to have been the most revolting thing she had ever tasted…somewhere between tar and sewer water. Clara seemed to echo her sentiment and they both shook their heads, clearly not liking the fruit one bit.

"No?" The Doctor asked slightly amused by their reactions.

"So why's everyone here?" The brunette asked as they discarded the bowls, the Doctor wrapping his arm back around the blonde's waist and signaling for the dark haired woman to follow them.

"For the Festival of Offerings. Takes place every thousand years or so, when the rings are in alignment. It's quite a big thing, locally speaking." Artimes blurted out.

Blimey, she was doing that a lot. She was slightly surprised that the Doctor hadn't told her off yet. She glanced up at him and he smiled happily at her. She decided then and there that if it kept that smile on his face, she didn't care whatsoever.

"Like Pancake Tuesday." The Timelord commented making her snort in amusement.

He sent her a cheeky grin as they walked ahead of Clara again, leaving her behind for the moment.

"How are you doing? You seem a little distant. Did something happen during your last jump?" He asked his eyes worried again.

Jump? What did he mean by jump?

"Having a bit of an off day. Am I not allowed to have an off day?" She countered.

He leaned into her a bit. It was strange how he was acting. It was almost like he was afraid she would disappear the moment he wasn't some kind of physical contact with her. It was probably because of what happened to the Ponds.

"Not at all. You can't blame me for worrying about you. You're the most important person in the universe to me. I just want to make you happy is all." He replied as he stopped walking and had her face him, his eyes full of love and devotion.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart beat wildly in her chest, causing that odd echoing effect again. She could feel the blood rushing to her face as her cheeks grew warm. She couldn't bring herself to look away from those amazing green eyes. All her life, she had wanted someone to look at her like that, to love her that much, but she never imagined that the source of that love would be the Doctor. She realized then that he was very much real and very much in love with her and she honestly didn't know what to say or do about that. It seemed too good to be true and her heart was warring with her head, logic and reasoning trying to circumvent this very real moment.

"Whoa!" They heard Clara shout, "Erm, Doctor? Artz!"

The pair rushed over to their impossible girl and the Timelord yapped at the dog like alien.

"What's happening? Why's it angry?" The brunette asked slightly afraid.

"This isn't an it. It's a she. Dor'een, meet Clara and my Artz. Clara, Artz, meet Dor'een." The Doctor introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Dor'een." Artimes said smiling, earning a gruff response in return which she assumed to be Dor'een's way of saying hello.

"Doreen?" Clara echoed.

"Loose translation. She sounds a bit grumpy but she's a total love, actually, aren't you?" He rambled tickling Dor'een under the chin, making Artimes giggle, "Yes, you are. She's just asking if we fancy renting a moped."

Dor'een backed out of the way to reveal the moped in question. Clara barked and the dog like alien barked back in return.

"So, how much does it cost?" The brunette asked curious.

The Doctor opened his mouth to answer, but saw the hopeful look in the blonde's eyes. He closed his mouth before smiling, nodding his permission for her to explain. Her eyes lit up with happiness, a grin appearing on her face, and his hearts fluttered at the sight.

"Not money. Something valuable, but not just any value, but sentimental value. A photograph, a love letter, something along those lines. Psychometry. Objects physically imprinted with their history. The more treasured they are, the more value they hold." Artimes explained in a rush, obviously excited and happy about imparting her knowledge to another.

The Doctor nuzzled into her neck affectionately, his entire being radiating with joy and happiness. He absolutely loved it when his Artz showed how brilliant she was and he let her do it as much as he could, knowing it would always bring a smile to her face. Clara, however, did not share their view if the look on her face was any indication.

"That's horrible." The brunette stated quite disturbed by the idea.

He noticed how Artimes seemed to recoil, shrinking away from the dark haired woman and withdrawing into herself. He wrapped both arms around her waist to offer her some comfort as annoyance flashed through his eyes briefly.

"Better than using bits of paper." He replied some of his irritation slipping through.

He did not like it when the blonde withdrew herself. It didn't matter what point in her timeline it was, she always had a problem with her self confidence. It was accounted for the way her family had treated her, making her feel like she was nothing and unimportant. He had been actively trying countermand that mindset but twelve hundred years in and he still hadn't been able to rid her of it completely.

"Then you pay." Clara demanded obstinately.

His jaw clenched as he tried to remember that the brunette was still unused to time/space travel, but a lot of his objectivity went out the window when it involved his Artz.

"With what?" He snapped.

He felt Artimes stiffen in his arms.

"You're a thousand years old. You must have something you care about." The brunette replied making Artimes wince slightly and shift further away from her and deeper into his embrace.

He glanced down at her, feeling a large amount of guilt. He knew how much the blonde loathed conflict, always so peaceful, and she especially hated it when friends fought. He really needed to keep better control over his temper, but after what happened with Amy and Rory and what Artimes had tried and failed to do, he was simply too raw to have proper emotional control. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, his mind filling with memories. He shook his head and pocketed the device again before ushering the blonde away, Clara laughing at his expense.

Once they were a good distance away from the brunette, he spoke.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to get so irritated." He apologized as they walked through the market.

"You care about two things…well three if you include me, your sonic screwdriver and the Tardis. I wouldn't want to part with either of those myself, so stop your fretting. You worry too much, Theta." She replied.

Warmth washed through his system like a flood when she spoke his academy name. She was the only one who call him that and he never tired of hearing her say it.

"I know, but I get a little _confrontational_ when someone hurts you…even the little things like before and I'm sorry. I remember how much you fought against my first self, how he was always trying to prove you wrong. You always so brave when facing me down but I saw how much it hurt you when I wouldn't believe you. Took almost a year for me to believe that key points of my life were a television show in another reality. I was a real arse back then." He rambled bringing her into his arms fully, their chests pressed together, "I don't know how you ever forgave me for all those arguments, all the times I put you in danger because of my own arrogance."

He shook his head, still in awe that she was still with him after all that time. He had fought with her so much, called her delusional, treated her so harshly and with such superiority that it made his stomach twist in self loathing. She had stood up to him, reasoned with him, and even manipulated him a time or two so that he had no choice but to go with the chain of events and have her proven right over and over again.

A brief image from his first adventure with Ian and Barbara flashed through his mind. He had still not forgiven himself for that day, no matter how many times she had forgiven him and said that she was to blame. She had been in his care and his arrogance and stubbornness nearly cost him the one thing that he would one day hold most dear. How foolish he had been so long ago, but he swore an oath the moment she had returned to him that he would do all in his power to keep her safe.

"One may suffer a world of demons for the sake of an angel." Artimes replied smiling softly at him and jarring him from his morose thoughts.

He looked down at her and saw how much she loved him in those beautiful green eyes. Her eyes had never been without that love, that faith, that trust…even with his first self and all the others. By the stars, he loved this woman…this incredible, brilliant, beautiful, amazing woman. She was so remarkable and impossible and…and so completely his. Without her, there would have been so many times that he would have succumbed to the darkness and gave in to rage. She made him better by simply being in his life and he was eternally grateful.

He leaned down and kissed her, slow at first but then more passionately. It erupted into a full blown snogging session and at some point he pinned her against a large crate, her legs wrapped around him. He moaned into her mouth when her hands threaded into her hair and scratched gently at his scalp. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't take it was far as he wanted to, given their current location. He refused to release her just yet, relishing her taste and the warmth of their joined bodies.

He continued to kiss her, time ceasing to exist for them, while her body shuddered under his touch. It would have been so easy to simply take her right then and there, but he forced himself to pull back. Only Artimes didn't seem to want that and she yanked him forwards again, her mouth demanding more. He growled lowly in his chest and took control of the kiss once more, leaving her breathless and dazed. He set her gently on her feet, holding her steady so she could regain feeling in her legs. He couldn't help but smile at her dazed state, more than a little proud that he could cause such a reaction from his Artz.

"We should…um…we should go find…uh…Clara, that's it. We should go find Clara." Artimes stated fumbling over her words as her head cleared.

He kissed her again then led them through the crowd to find their impossible girl.

* * *

><p>While looking for the wayward brunette, Artimes thought about what she had done during that kiss…well more like make out session. She had no idea what had come over her. It was like every fiber of her being demanded for her to be closer to him. Being in his arms like that, it had felt so right…like she had been doing that with him forever. She had an idea as to why, though it was purely conjecture at that point. Her life had not been the greatest and she never really got that much physical attention…or any attention really. Then all of a sudden, here was this impossible man giving her something she hadn't even known that she was craving.<p>

Moreover, she was finally putting the pieces together from what the Doctor had told her about. Her theory was that she was like the original character that jumped all willy nilly through time and space. He had no idea how many spoilers he had told her…or maybe they were not spoilers at all. He had mentioned that it was her idea to take Susan to Akhaten. She wouldn't have even thought about suggesting it if he hadn't said something. Then there was the fact that she argued with his first self a lot. Maybe because she knew it was coming, she would be able to handle it better.

She also knew that her life with the Doctor would be a good one, despite the bumps and hiccups that would occur along the way. After all, he said that she was his wife and that she was the most important person in the universe to him. It was definitely a bonus that the sentient time ship he called home seemed to like her so much. She refocused on their surroundings when the Doctor pulled her back over to the booth with the foul tasting, glowing fruit again and he snatched up a couple. He offered her one and she simply gave him a dead panned expression to which he laughed at before kissing her forehead.

They continued on their way, working their way through the crowds of aliens. The Doctor, being the ever talkative man he was, let slip a few more spoilers about their future adventures together; their visit to Woman Wept, floating along with a heard of star whales, how they visited Jenny often, and something about the Wish Festival on Lunaria 5. They finally found Clara as the Doctor finished up his snack.

"What have you been doing?" He asked the brunette, his hand intertwined with the blonde's.

"Exploring." Clara answered vaguely.

"So you met Merry then." Artimes said knowingly, surprising the brunette slightly.

The Doctor's had snapped in her direction quickly.

"What?" She asked confused by his reaction.

"Which one?" He countered his eyes serious.

She just stared at him, uncertain of what he wanted her to tell him.

"Which key point?" He clarified seeing her confusion and ignoring Clara completely.

"7.7 of the reboot, The Rings of Akhaten." She answered hesitantly.

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist again. Clara stared at the Doctor in confusion, not understanding his sudden shift in mood. Artimes took one look into his green eyes and understood instantly why he was so on edge. She sighed heavily and removed herself from his arms. He stepped with her and she pushed him back, her hand on his chest.

"Stop your fretting, you clot. We have time." The blonde stated confidently.

She now understood why he was so jumpy. Key points meant that trouble was lurking nearby and things would undoubtedly become very dangerous and possibly put her at risk. He relaxed slightly, but still took her hand in his, kissing it briefly before leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Let me know when things are about to become dangerous." He whispered as he led her away, a confused brunette following after them.

"Everything will be fine, Theta. Trust me." She whispered back, kissing his cheek and rubbing his arm to reassure him.

* * *

><p>The trio of time travelers hurried into the amphitheater so they wouldn't miss the opening ceremony of the festival, the Queen of Years' performance.<p>

"Shh! Shh!" The Doctor started climbing past others in their seats with Artimes being dragged with him, "Sorry, sorry, excuse us. Sorry, excuse us."

He finally sat down but there wasn't enough seats for all three of them so he pulled Artimes into his lap, making her sit on top of him. Clara quickly joined them and sat down next to the hyperactive Timelord.

"Are we even supposed to be here?" She asked.

"Shh." The Doctor and Artimes replied trying to shush their companion.

"But are we?" The brunette persisted.

"Shh." The Doctor shushed her again before apologizing to the alien on the other side of the dark haired woman.

On the pedestal at the front of the amphitheater, Merry looked nervously over to the temple. The little girl turned and caught sight of Clara. She turned back, took a deep breath and began to sing.

"Akhaten…" She began as her voice overlapped with the priest who was kneeling inside the temple.

"Lay down, my king." The priest snag as he stood and removed his hood, "Sleep now eternal."

He walked towards the door and outside.

"Sleep, my precious king…lay down…" He continued.

"Oh, god of Akhaaaten…" Merry sang.

During a short respite, the Doctor explained what exactly they were doing.

"They're singing to the Akhaten in the temple. They call it the Old God, sometimes Grandfather." He whispered.

"Oh, god of Akhaaaten…" Merry continued.

"What are they singing?" The brunette asked keeping her tone low.

"The Long Song, a lullaby without end. To feed the Old God, keep him asleep. It's been going for millions of years. Chorister handing over to Chorister. Generation after generation after generation." He continued.

"And completely and utterly pointless." Artimes mumbled almost inaudibly but the Doctor had heard and brought her closer to him in response.

Something about this was not sitting well with him. His Artz was on edge, he knew it to be a key point, so what was he missing?

"Akhaten…" Merry continued singing.

The girls looked around as the members of the audience held out their hands, each containing something valuable to them. Merry and the priest continued to sing.

"What are they doing?" Clara asked.

"They're offerings, gifts of value…mementos to feed the Old God." Artimes answered a sliver of anger slipping through when she said 'Old God'.

Clara laughed, unaware of the blonde's growing anger, as the offerings were accepted, disappearing into small bits of golden light. The Doctor tried to calm the disquieted blonde, but she continued to sit rigidly in his lap. He had a feeling that things were quickly approaching the time of danger, especially given how his Artz was staring so intently at the Queen of Years, Merry.

"Oh, god of…oh, god of…oh god of Akhaaaten…" Merry sang flawlessly.

"Sleep, my precious king." The priest continued.

The audience joined in the song. The Doctor tried to sing along, but was failing miserably. Artimes, on the other hand, blended in perfectly with the chorus of voices. The Timelord stared at her in wonder, his eyes shining with pride, love, and happiness. He loved listening to her sing. He smiled softly as he remembered the ridiculous amount of times he found her singing and dancing in the control room, the Old Girl flashing her lights or piloting through a stellar nursery with the doors open.

A low rumbling emanated from within the temple and Merry looked back at the crowd, everyone knowing that something was wrong. The fear on the little girl's face was all the incentive the blonde needed to bolt from the Doctor's arms and out of the stands. He stood quickly, not understanding her sudden urgency. Clara and the Timelord looked on in confusion as Artimes raced towards Merry, pulling the young singer into her arms. His eyes widened in horror as a force field wrapped around them both and lifted them into the air, dragging them towards the temple. Clara tried to get someone to help them, but no one moved except for the Doctor who clambered out of the stands.

"Dor'een!" Artimes shouted pointing back towards the market and he immediately took off out of the amphitheater.

Clara rushed after him in shock and anger.

"Why are we walking away?! We can't just walk away! This is my fault! I talked Merry into doing this and Artz is paying the price! Please, we can't just walk away!" Clara pleaded.

The Doctor stopped and walked back to the brunette.

"Listen. There's one thing you need to know about traveling with me…well, one thing apart from the blue box, two hearts, and a wife that jumps randomly through my timeline. We don't walk away." He replied turning on his heel and continuing on to Dor'een's stall.

Artimes had said 'Dor'een' on purpose, meaning he needed the moped in order to save her and the little girl. His jaw clenched slightly, more than a little annoyed that she had once again thrown herself into danger, but at the same time, if she didn't then she wouldn't be her. Upon arriving, he yapped at Dor'een and she barked and growled in return. The Doctor patted himself down before going to Clara.

"I need something precious." He stated hurriedly.

"Well, you must have something, all the places you've seen." Clara quipped back.

In the Tardis, yes he did, but not here. There wasn't time for him to run to the Tardis, dig up something of adequate value, run back, get the moped, and go save his Artz. He growled inwardly…there simply wasn't enough time!

"This." He started pulling out his sonic screwdriver, "I don't want to give it away, it comes in handy. The Tardis is mine and Artz's home and a sentient being so that's out of the question and the one thing I love and cherish the most in the whole of time and space is being pulled away to a pyramid floating in orbit around a particularly large sun."

Seeing his worried and frantic eyes, she looked down at her right hand and nervously touched a ring on one of her fingers. She looked up at him, seeing the desperation and fear shimmering in those ancient green pools. He loved his Artz so much…who was she to keep him from saving the one thing he loved most. She glanced down at her ring once more, knowing what her mother would want her to do.

"It's my Mum's." She said softly, looking up at him again.

The Doctor didn't say anything, knowing it was her decision to make. Clara took off her ring and handed it to Dor'een, her eyes filled with determination and resolve. Dor'een sensed the importance of the ring and accepted it as payment for the moped. He kissed the brunette's forehead, silently thanking her for her sacrifice and headed for the moped.

* * *

><p>Artimes looked down at the frightened girl in her arms and smiled reassuringly at her as they were being dragged towards the temple.<p>

"Everything will be alright, Merry. Clara and the Doctor are coming. They'll save us." The blonde stated calmly.

"Why did you try to help me? You shouldn't have tried." The girl replied still very scared.

"I know what it's like to be scared and all alone, believing that no one would come…that no one would help. No one deserves to be without hope, Merry, and I didn't want you to feel that way for even a single moment." Artimes answered honestly.

The young singer stared at her with wide eyes before nodding her head and placing her trust in the strange woman. Artimes heard her name being called and she snapped her head in that direction. She saw the Doctor and Clara riding on the moped and speeding towards them.

"Artz! Merry!" Clara shouted holding out her hand to them.

Artimes kept her right arm firmly around the little girl and reached out with her left towards the brunette. Their hands grazed before she and Merry were pulled downwards into the temple, both screaming at the sudden change in speed and direction. Once inside and the door slid close, the force field relinquished and they fell to the floor. They rose to their feet and the blonde kept a firm hold on the younger singer.

"Don't worry, Merry. The Doctor will save us." The blonde reassured her voice holding absolute certainty.

"You really believe in him a lot, don't you?" Merry asked looking up at her.

"Yes, I do. My belief in him is unbreakable, my trust unshakeable, and my faith in him is absolute. He is the Doctor: the champion of the stars, the hero of time, the savior of worlds. He saves people, planets, civilizations, whole races, and entire galaxies. He saved the universe a time or two as well. He is a mad man with a bigger on the inside, blue box that can travel anywhere in time and space and there is nothing that he cannot do. To him, there is no such thing as an impossible fight. He will save us." Artimes answered with great conviction ringing in every word.

Merry continued to stare at the odd blonde woman, her eyes searching the blonde's for an answer to an unspoken question. She must have found it because she nodded, her eyes revealing her faith in the woman.

"Then I believe in him too." She replied boldly.

Artimes beamed at the young singer before glancing at the still singing priest.

"Don't ever wake from slumber. Old God, never wake from slumber." He sang his voice tinged in panic.

Merry tried to move forward but Artimes held her back. The little girl looked up at her in confusion.

"Not a good idea, Merry. Best to stay back." The blonde warned watching the Old God with weary but knowing eyes.

"Why?" She questioned.

"Because your so called God is about to wake up." Artimes answered just as the zombie like creature opened its glowing red eyes.

Merry screamed and clung to the blonde in terror. The girls turned around as the door began to lift open. Artimes smiled widely as the Doctor stood underneath the door, keeping it open with his sonic screwdriver.

"Hello there. I'm the Doctor and you've met Clara and my Artz. They were supposed to be having a nice day out." He rambled turning off the sonic device, "Still, it's early yet."

The door began to close again and he turned his sonic screwdriver back on again. Artimes shook her head at him, amused by his calm and candid behavior.

"Let's skip the song and dance routine, you clot." Artimes interjected dragging him and Clara inside.

The door slammed shut and the brunette looked at her like she had just gone mad.

"Did you just lock us in?" She demanded.

"Nope, this is where we need to be." Artimes answered turning back to Merry, "Trust me?"

The younger singer took her hand and nodded her head vigorously.

"With a monster?" Clara continued glancing towards the glass cage.

"She can be a bit slow sometimes, Merry. Give her a minute to catch up." The blonde commented to the little girl, making her giggle.

The Doctor simply smiled and shook his head fondly.

"Moving right along, what do I need to know, my beautiful and brilliant Artz?" He asked clapping his hands together and rubbing them.

"One: So called soul stealing monster in a glass cage. B, no, Two: the priest is still singing because he honestly doesn't know what to do. Three or C: The soul stealing monster is about to wake up and starting beating on the glass. Four or D or that little ie they use in brackets sometimes: the soul stealing monster is only the tip of the iceberg and is actually a precursor to something much worse." Artimes rambled off, her voice slipping into her version of Ten's monologue effortlessly.

The Doctor moved around them and started talking with the priest. Eventually said priest stopped singing, identified himself, then teleported away. The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver on the so called soul stealing monster and he started to pound on the glass, just like Artimes had said.

"What's it doing?" Clara asked frightened.

Artimes kept Merry close to her and simply stared at the creature blankly, knowing what the Akhaten truly was…an alarm clock for the parasitic, sentient sun. The Doctor walked around the cage, examining both it and the creature thoroughly.

"Oh, you know, having a nice stretch. No, we didn't wake him." He started before pointing to the young singer clinging to the blonde's mid section, "And you didn't wake him either. He's waking because it's time to wake…and feed. On you, apparently. On your stories."

Merry buried her face into the blonde's stomach, trembling profusely.

"Artz didn't say stories, she said souls." Clara pointed out.

"I said 'so called soul stealing monster', Clara. The soul is made of stories, not atoms. Everything that ever happened to us. People we love." Artimes explained glancing towards the Timelord briefly before returning her gaze to the brunette, "People we found again, against all of the odds. He threatens to wake up and they offer him a pure soul, the soul of the Queen of Years, but I'll tell you what else. He's not getting her. He would have to take her over my dead body."

Artimes wrapped her arms around Merry and gave the Doctor a determined look. He nodded his head in understanding, agreeing with what she had said.

"Stop it, you're scaring her." Clara snapped.

"Well of course, she's scared, but I'm not going to lie to her. She deserves to know that that creature is not a god, it's a vampire that feeds on other's stories. Merry is a unique being and there will never be another one like her ever again. There's only one Merry Gejelh and getting rid of that unique and special existence isn't a sacrifice. It's a waste." Artimes replied passionately, her eyes blazing.

The young singer looked up at the woman who so vehemently championed her very right to exist and came to a decision.

"Artz told me about a man capable of doing the impossible like saving worlds and races and people. She said that man was the champion of the stars, the hero of time, and the savior of worlds. She told me about you, Doctor…the mad man with the blue box. She said that you would come…that you would save us and here you are. I don't want to die. I want to live and continue my story. Save me, save everyone. I believe in you, Doctor, like Artz does." The little girl said bravely, looking at the Doctor with courage and determination.

He took the little girl's hand and glanced at his Artz briefly, his eyes filled with admiration and awe. She touched and changed every soul she came in contact with and she didn't even realize that she was doing it in the first place.

"Heads up. We're about to have incoming." Artimes warned as the creature began to crack the glass.

"What's coming?" Clara demanded.

"The Vigil. If the Queen of Years is unwilling to be feasted upon then it's their job to feed her to 'Grandfather'." Artimes explained.

Appearing in front of the dais were the same creatures that had been searching for Merry in the warehouse. The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver as the Vigil advanced towards them. The Doctor and Clara were both thrown away by the Vigil and walked towards Artimes and Merry. Instead of throwing her away from the young singer, they forced both of them to approach the cage.

The Doctor, with some help from Clara, did something clever with his sonic, forcing the Vigil to create a force field and relinquish their hold on the girls. They ran over to Clara, Merry wrapping her arms around the brunette, while the Doctor advanced on the Vigil with his sonic screwdriver, groaning with effort.

"Merry, the secret song. The one from the tale 'The Thief of the Temple and the Nimmer's Door'. Can you sing it?" Artimes asked hurriedly since Clara seemed a little preoccupied by the Doctor's fight against the Vigil.

The young singer nodded vigorously and began to sing. A side door slid open and the Doctor forced the Vigil to take a few steps back.

"Go!" The Timelord commanded.

Clara and Merry ran for the open door. Artimes moved a bit slower, not wanting to leave the Timelord on his own. The Doctor pushed the Vigil back further and inched his way closer to the door. He didn't even bother to tell Artimes to go, knowing that she would simply refuse and they honestly didn't have time for an argument. Finally, he disengaged the sonic, grabbed the blonde's hand and they ran outside.

Unfortunately, the Vigil did not give up so easily and were approaching them once again. The group heard the creature roar and a golden beam of light shot up out of the pyramid. The Vigil suddenly vanished as the light dissipated.

"Now we're in trouble and before you ask, Clara. Grandfather is awake. The Vigil no longer have a function." Artimes piped up, glancing up at the sun nervously.

"Well, you could sound happier about it." Clara commented moments before they heard a distant explosion.

"I would be if the so called soul stealing vampire monster was actually the Old God, but in actuality, he's not. He's Grandfather's alarm clock and Grandfather is actually a parasitic, sentient sun." Artimes explained in a hurry as the sun in question began to burn brighter, almost expanding.

"Oh my stars. What do we do?" The brunette asked scared.

"Against that? I don't know. Do you know? I don't know. Any ideas?" The Doctor ranted in response.

"Quite a few actually." Artimes stated nonchalantly.

They all looked at her, completely baffled and stunned by her statement. Artimes exhaled loudly in exasperation.

"What would you do without me?" She started before turning to Clara and Merry, "Clara, get Merry back to the amphitheater. Merry, when you get there, I need you to sing. Be brave and sing about Grandfather waking up. Show everyone you're not afraid of him and everyone else will join in."

Artimes turned to the Doctor.

"You and I are going to have a little chat with a living star." The blonde continued in a no nonsense tone.

"That's your big plan; faith, hope, and chit chat!" Clara exclaimed unimpressed.

"Why are you still here? Leg it now!" Artimes ordered rounding on the brunette, her eyes fierce.

"I can help…somehow." She replied weakly, crumbling under the blonde's fiery gaze.

Artimes's eyes softened.

"Not yet, but right now you are holding on to something precious. You need to run, run as fast as you can and don't stop running until you are out from under the shadows." The blonde responded softly, glancing down at Merry.

"Now, off you pop. Take the moped." The Doctor instructed straightening his bow tie, "We'll walk."

The Doctor took the blonde's hand and they entered the temple together, Merry and Clara getting on the moped and leaving.

"Have I mentioned that you're absolutely sexy when you take charge like that?" The Doctor asked sending her a playful wink.

She blushed brightly and coughed into her hand.

"Didn't mean to steal your spotlight, Theta." She replied still blushing.

"Anytime, Artz. I'll gladly share the spotlight with you any day. Now about the great, big fiery ball of doom?" He asked, "What's your plan?"

Artimes frowned when she listened for singing. Why wasn't Merry singing already? They had had more than enough time to get back by now. Perhaps she was too scared and needed a little encouragement.

"Alright, plan A went belly flop, but no matter. Plan B it is then." The blonde commented taking a hesitant step towards the star.

She opened her mouth and began to sing 'The Long Song' from the Doctor Who soundtrack, the very same song that Merry sang in the show. She made her voice project as far as it could go. Her eyes lit up with happiness as she heard Merry's voice take up the lead, followed closely by a chorus of other voices. She stopped singing and turned to the Doctor.

"Tell it a story, your story." She said softly.

The Doctor sauntered up to the edge and pointed towards the other planet with the amphitheater. Artimes stepped back a few steps and let him take center stage.

"Can you hear them? All these people who've lived in terror of you and your judgment? All these people whose ancestors devoted themselves, sacrificed themselves…to you. Can you hear them singing?" The Doctor demanded, "You like to think you're a god, but you're not a god. You're a parasite eaten out with jealously and envy and long for the lives of others. You feed on them. On the memory of love and loss and birth and death and joy and sorrow. So come on then. Take mine, Take my memories, but I hope you've got a big appetite because I've lived a long life and I've seen a few things."

The sun shot tendrils of light at the Doctor, sucking away his life and memories.

"I walked away from the Last Great Time War. I marked the passing of the Timelords. I saw the birth of the universe and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment, until nothing remained. No time, no space, just me. I've walked in universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a mad man. I've watched universes freeze and creations burn. I've seen things you wouldn't believe. I've lost things you'll never understand. I hold the love of the most remarkable and amazing woman in the whole of creation and I love her beyond all words, definitions, and imaginings. I know things, secrets that must never be told. Knowledge that must never be spoken. Knowledge that will make parasite gods blaze." He continued throwing his arms out, "So come on then! Take it! Take it all, baby! Have it! You have it all!"

The sun grew darker as the Doctor looked back at the stunned blonde, his eyes glistening with tears.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as the sun expanded once again.

"It's not enough. Artz, you have to finish it. You've seen just as much as I have. You were there with me, always by my side. Please…save them." He begged.

Tears filled her eyes and began to spill down her cheeks.

"I can't." She replied her voice barely above a whisper.

"Why?" He asked a look of betrayal flashing briefly across his face.

"Because it hasn't happened for me yet. This is the first time I have ever met you." She answered trying not to sob.

His eyes widened and a smile slowly appeared on his face. He pulled her to him and they sank to their knees. He looked deep into her forest green eyes, his eyes holding no sadness, pain, or any of the other things she had expected.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said his eyes warm and soft.

She laughed a little.

"You're not angry with me for not telling you?" She asked as he wiped away her tears.

"No, not at all. You told me that you would try to hide it and keep it a secret so I wouldn't be sad, but Artz, I could never be sad about that. You have so much to look forward to, so many people to meet, so many to save." He answered brushing her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Save? You mean I can change things?" She asked her eyes filling with hope.

"Of course you can. It's called the originator complex. Time is in a permanent state of flux around you, making it possible to change many things. Most of the standard laws of time do not apply to you, but there are some things that even you cannot change, but it certainly doesn't stop you from trying." He answered, "Now tell me, how do we fix this?"

She opened her mouth, but unsure of how to explain it and a little afraid that it might not happen.

"Don't be afraid to tell me. Some things won't happen until you do, others need a jump start to get going, and some can't be avoided." He continued his hands sliding down to her shoulders and rubbing them soothingly.

"Clara. We need Clara." She replied.

"Why? Why do we need Clara?" He asked trying to guide her gently, knowing that she was struggling to find the proper wording.

"Clara blew into this world on a leaf. The leaf is the key." Artimes answered.

He was about to ask for more information when Clara entered the temple carrying her book. The pair looked at the brunette and she took courage from them. She hugged the book to her chest and approached the Old God.

"Still hungry?" She asked opening the book and holding the dried leaf in her palm, "Well, I brought something for you. This. The most important leaf in human history. It's full of stories, full of history and full of a future that never got lived. Days that should have been that never were. Passed on to me."

She held up the leaf.

"This leaf isn't just the past, it's a whole future that never happened. There are billions and millions of unlived days for every day we live, an infinity. All the days that never came and these are all my mum's." She continued as the parasite sun sent tendrils to the leaf and began to absorb it.

The Doctor stood up, bringing Artimes with him. He kept his arms around her as he addressed the parasitic star.

"Well come on then. Eat up. Are you full? I expect so because there's quite a difference, isn't there, between what was and what should have been? There's an awful lot of one, but there's an infinity of the other…and infinity's too much…even for your appetite." The Doctor said confidently.

The leaf disintegrated into nothingness. The trio of time travelers looked at each other. The sun imploded, leaving them in darkness and the Doctor brought his Artz close to him, relishing the moment.

"If the sun is gone, wouldn't that mean that the planets in this system are about to freeze to death?" Artimes asked curiously.

The Doctor and Clara looked at each other in shock, not really thinking about the repercussions of destroying the parasitic star.

"Oops." He replied.

The trio of time travelers raced back to the Tardis, hoping they could save several worlds in under five minutes.

* * *

><p>Lady A: There you have it! Chapter 1: The Rings of Akhaten is complete! Yes, I understand that it seems like it is too fast but once you read the next chapter, you'll understand that it is not fast, just very very complicated. Leave tons and tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter 2: The Unearthly Child! Stay tuned!<p> 


	3. Chapter 2: The Unearthly Child

Lady A: Hello everyone and welcome back to Legacy Saga: Genesis! Sorry for the long wait but I was trying to get through Chapter 3: The Orb of Life, but I only got half way through and decided to type up Chapter 2. Also apologies to those of you waiting on my other stories. I have recently gotten a temporary job and well it interferes with my muse quite a bit. One last thing: Thanks to all those who faved, followed and reviewed. Much love to you all!

Brief Recap: Artimes met the Doctor, learned quite a few spoilers, and went on an adventure. The Doctor, Clara and Artz managed to save the day and the Doctor learned about his Artz's first jump. They defeated the parasitic sun, but Artimes asked a very good question which drove them into action yet again.

Looking Forward: Artimes must face the very hard reality that she can never return home. She would never see her mother, grandmother, elder brother, or her best friend ever again. During her breakdown, she is transported to the Doctor's very first self before the events of Series One had even occurred. She soon discovers that not only has she lost her world, but something else as well. The loss of everything she held dear nearly breaks her, but the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan, reminds Artimes of something she had forgotten. This something is what drives her to put aside her past and try to build herself a new and happy future.

The Doctor is a disbelieving prat and so she and the Timelord fight a lot. They are constantly bickering or arguing about everything. Finally, Artz decides to manipulate the Doctor into setting into motion the events of the Series One Episode One: An Unearthly Child. The Doctor falls prey to Artz's devious plan and is confronted by Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, Susan's teachers from school. After a great deal of conversation, Artz and the Doctor take the teachers on their first adventure through time and space. Unfortunately, things don't end well for Artimes and the Doctor realizes just how wrong he had been about the mysterious blonde that had suddenly appeared in his life.

Okay so that was a very long preview, but in my defense, this chapter is forty pages long in its hand written draft so just button it! On with the show!

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><p>Chapter Two: The Unearthly Child<p>

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><p>The Doctor, Artimes and Clara returned to the Tardis and the girls watched him as he flew about the controls. Within three minutes, he had successfully created an artificial sun for the Akhaten system. The brunette remained behind in the Tardis while Artimes and the Doctor returned the moped to its original owner. Dor'een yapped happily and as her thanks for saving them, she returned Clara's ring to the time travelers.<p>

On their way back to their blue box, the blonde noticed a shift in the Timelord's mood. He seemed almost…sad? No, it was stronger than that, maybe forlorn? They reentered the Tardis and he put on a smiling face. He then took Clara home and returned the ring to the brunette, all the while his eyes still holding that barely concealed forlorn expression. After Clara was gone, the Doctor launched into his explanation of the whole jumping through space and time thing.

Apparently, she jumped to random points along his timeline and that her timeline was intricately weaved with his own like she had always been there. He gave her a bag that was bigger on the inside and was filled with all sorts of useful items: a sonic screwdriver, psychic paper, a vortex manipulator, two alpha meson pistols which he advised her to never use, a large assortment of clothes, cooking and camping gear, several kinds of currency, and a whole boatload of other useful electronics and supplies.

The whole time he had been explaining all of that, there had been a sense of urgency and desperation in both his actions and his voice. The forlorn expression in his eyes had deepened tenfold and she knew something was truly bothering him. Whatever it was, it caused a great emotional upheaval within the Timelord and she had no idea what it was. She had a theory that it had something to do with her. He kept glancing at her every few seconds like he was checking that she was still there and he was extremely hesitant like he should say something but just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Oh for God's sake, Theta, what's wrong?!" Artimes demanded more than a little fed up.

He swallowed hard and refused to look at her, his hands fiddling with the controls in front of him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked his tone so low she barely heard him.

"I feel fine. Why?" She countered slightly confused by his inquiry.

He moved slightly to the left and just continued flipping switches and pressing buttons, trying to look at anything but her. She walked over to him and placed her right hand over his, stilling his movements and making him glance up at her slightly.

"Tell me what's wrong because you have this look on your face that says there is something I need to know but that you don't want to tell me in fear of how I will react." She continued rubbing her thumb on the back of his hand in a soothing manner.

He flipped his hand over and intertwined his fingers with hers. He stared at their joined hands for a moment before finally replying.

"You haven't thought about it, have you?" He asked quietly, his eyes not leaving their joined hands.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about.

"About what?" She asked trying to actively remember something she must have forgotten, but was coming up with nothing.

The Doctor squeezed her hand before releasing it to place his hands on her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. She looked into those ancient and sad green eyes, trying to understand what he was trying to convey to her.

"Your home, Artz. Your family, your friend, your world." He answered closing his eyes and leaning his head against hers, "Think, Artz. Think about what it means to be with me, here in the Tardis. Think about what you've lost by being here."

"Lost?" She echoed still confused.

What had she lost? She had the Doctor, the Tardis, and a chance to meet all of the regenerations of the Doctor and all of his companions, but what could she have lost? The Doctor's voice echoed through her mind, beating on the inside of her skull. She was going to have friends galore and a family all her own and her home was the Tardis. Her world was Earth…her head hurt. She stiffened slightly as the Doctor's voice inside her mind quieted and brought forth a memory.

'Come on, Sis. I need you to be at the wedding. You're the only one in the family who actually cares about me. You're going to be there whether you want to be or not. I'll make certain to have some of your favorite foods at the reception to make it up to you.' Her brother's voice echoed through her thoughts.

Oh God, her brother's wedding was in two months and she wasn't even in the same reality! She could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes, but her mind was not yet through reminding her of what she truly had lost.

'Now don't stay out stargazing all night. You'll catch a cold then get me sick. I can't afford to miss work so you better come in at a decent hour, young lady.' Her mother's voice chided playfully.

Her mother always scolded her every time she had fallen asleep in the backyard while stargazing. She would never hear her mom tell her off for the last time she fell asleep outside because she had woken up in the Tardis. The dense walls around the blonde's emotions were beginning to crumble at an alarming rate. She prided herself on being able to keep her emotions in check, but her mind was not stopping long enough to allow her time to regain control of herself.

'I'll come over every Tuesday and we can work on it and hopefully get it done by Christmas. Sound like a plan, girlfriend?' Her grandmother's voice drifted across her mind.

She and her grandmother were working on a homemade belt as Artimes's Christmas gift to her mother. They had only just gathered all the materials and were going to start putting it together next week. How was she going to do that when her timeline was weaved with the Doctor's? Her vision blurred as her eyes filled to the brim with tears.

'Hey, don't forget that we have karaoke this weekend. I know how you get, Artimes, with your reading, writing, researching and stargazing. You need to get away from your house every once in a while for a breather. Now, you cancelled last time because you were too tired after helping your grandmother clean last weekend, but this weekend is ours and you are as free as a bird, so do not forget, okay?' Scott's voice said sternly but jokingly chastising her in her mind.

Tears rolled down her face as she shattered, unable to hide her grief. It was gone…it was all gone. The Doctor pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her, but all she felt was pain. She couldn't see, she couldn't hear, and she could barely feel the Doctor at all. Her mind was focused on the profound revelation that just rocketed through her being.

Her brother, her parents, her grandmother, her best friend, her home, her world, her reality; everything that she knew was completely gone and there was no way back. She knew that parallel realities were sealed off and if even they weren't, the likelihood of her finding the correct alternate reality that was her home was statistically impossible. She was vaguely aware that the Doctor was speaking very quickly in her left ear and then there was some sort of singing.

Everything went silver and the sensation of the Doctor's arms being around her vanished in an instant. The last anchor she had to regain emotional control was gone and she began to crack. The silver light faded and she found herself on the floor in a different Tardis, a leg spread out on either side and her bottom firmly planted on the floor.

"Who are you? How did you get on board? Answer me, woman!" An older voice demanded his tone filled with superiority and anger.

She raised her head slowly, tears still streaming down her face, and saw the very first Doctor standing in front of her. His eyes were blazing with curiosity and anger, but when their eyes met, his softened marginally. She opened her mouth to speak but she was still in the middle of an emotional meltdown and she started sobbing uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands and she cried, her body bending so that her forehead touched the floor.

"Grandfather, what have you done to her?" A girl's voice asked.

"I have done nothing, child. She was already in this state when she arrived in a flash of silver light." The Doctor answered slightly perturbed by how the girl took the blonde's side almost instantly.

Artimes felt herself shift off of the floor and brought into the arms of a dark haired girl. The girl clung to the blonde's shaking and trembling form, trying to offer her comfort. Artimes tried to calm down but it was useless. She was beyond her emotional limits and all she could do was cry out her sorrow and loss. The longer she cried, the clearer her head became and she realized the identity of the teenage girl that was holding her. It was Theta's granddaughter, Susan, meaning she had jumped from the Eleventh Doctor to the First Doctor. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if her meltdown caused her to jump. After several hours, the blonde woman cried herself to sleep, completely drained of all her energy.

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><p>When Artimes awoke, she found herself in a well furnished bedroom. The furniture was a beautiful redwood with silver leaves engraved in the edges. The walls were a gorgeous burnt amber color while the carpets were a reddish brown color. The bed itself acted as a contrast to the rest of the room. It had white sheets and a Tardis blue comforter. She sat up slowly as Susan entered the room.<p>

"Hello Susan." The blonde said her tone slightly hollow and a little hoarse from crying so much.

The dark haired girl looked at her in confusion, trying to understand how she knew her name. She sat down on the bed and stared at the blonde with curious but sad eyes.

"How do you know my name? We've never met before." She asked curiously.

Artimes let out a humorless chuckle, her dull eyes barely focused on the dark haired girl on front of her. She found it ironic that she had just come from a Doctor that had always known her, but she had never met him and now she was with a Doctor that had never met her but she had met him. Time travel was so bothersome at times.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The blonde answered more than a little hesitant to just spill the beans about herself.

She frowned slightly as Eleven's voice echoed through her mind. It was obviously something he had said shortly before she jumped but she didn't hear him; however her brain still registered it in her memory.

'Trust Susan with your story. She is your ally and your friend.' Eleven's voice echoed through her thoughts.

"Why don't you tell me and see what happens?" The girl replied interrupting the blonde's thoughts.

Artimes sighed heavily and slowly began her story. She explained how she was a human from another reality, about her home and her world, a vague synopsis of her time with Eleven to prove that she possessed great knowledge of him, his people, and the sentient time ship, and she even told Susan about the show, about how certain points in the Doctor's timeline were episodes in the series called Doctor Who.

By the time she got through it all, she was crying again. Susan tried to comfort her, but there was nothing the dark haired girl could say, or do for that matter, that could alleviate even a fraction of the woman's grief. She decided that now was the time to show the gift the time ship had created for the blonde woman. Susan placed a photo album in Artimes's lap.

"The ship made it for you." Susan explained opening it to the first page.

Artimes's heart clenched painfully, the pain ricocheting across her chest at the pictures in the album. The Tardis had extracted some of her memories, the happy moments from her previous life, as a way for her to always remember. She flipped through the album, telling Susan about certain people or moments. All the while, her tears never stopped.

They finally got to the end of the book and Susan noticed how exhausted Artimes appeared to be. Her eye lids were drooping and she seemed a little pale. The dark haired girl convinced the tired blonde to get some more rest. Artimes smiled weakly, her dull eyes brightening for a split second before she laid down and closed her eyes. She was asleep almost instantly, but even in her sleep, the tears kept flowing.

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><p>Susan walked through one of the many corridors of the sentient time ship, the photo album clutched tightly to her chest. Her eyes were glistening with tears, remembering her time with the distraught blonde. Artimes had been so forthcoming and very honest, but she doubted her grandfather would believe the woman's fantastical tale. How could it not be true? The blonde was not faking such heart wrenching sorrow and the loss in her forest green eyes made Susan want to hold her forever and will the pain away.<p>

The dark haired teenager entered the control room. Her grandfather was examining the controls, a distant look in his eyes. He had been that way since he had looked into Artimes's eyes. Something inside him had broken, just like it had with her. The way the blonde had looked at them…there were simply no words to adequately describe the depth of what they saw. There had been pain, sorrow, and loss, but there was so much of it that it could not be measured.

Her grandfather's hands gripped the console as he fought to regain control of himself. Susan kept quiet while he pulled himself together. He would never reveal to anyone just how much the blonde's eyes had affected him. The Doctor finally noticed his granddaughter's presence and straightened up.

"Have you discovered the intruder's identity and purpose?" He demanded his expression hardening to stone.

Susan repeated what Artimes had told her; her species, her means of coming on board, her world, and the television show.

"That's impossible! The ship has scanned her and she is far from human! She must have been sent by the Council, to lure us into a trap and be rid of us for good." He stated firmly.

"She honestly believes that she is human and I think she used to be, but doesn't know that she's changed. Your future self didn't tell her!" Susan countered upset by his blatant disbelief.

The Doctor scoffed at her statement, pinning her with an anger filled gaze.

"You expect me to believe that, given her knowledge of our kind, she does not know what she is. Moreover, her so called 'human' memories could have been fabricated to make us more susceptible to her plight. This woman is dangerous, Susan. She believes in the delusion that everything around her is nothing more than a fantasy. This show of hers is simply a medium for her temporal perception. She cannot be trusted, Susan." The Timelord stated firmly.

Susan's face morphed into one of anger and a slight amount of disgust and she shoved the photo album into his hands roughly.

"Perhaps you should actually talk to her, Grandfather, instead of drawing conclusions from a distance. You might actually discover that she is telling the truth." The girl snapped before turning on her heel and storming out of the control room.

The Doctor sighed heavily, his gaze redirecting to the album in his hands. He hadn't meant to upset his granddaughter, but it was just so hard to believe such an impossible tale. He opened the album and flipped slowly through the pages. He noted how her hair did not contain the silver streaks, but he also saw how happy she was in each photo.

He remembered the typhoon of emotions that had swirled and stormed in her eyes when she first arrived. His hearts clenched painfully. Those eyes were going to haunt him for the rest of his very long life. To be so utterly devastated was something that could not be faked, by any means of the imagination, but perhaps the truth was too much for her to handle so she created this illusion to somehow protect her from the abyss that wanted to rip her apart from the inside out.

He slammed the album shut, his mind and hearts in a constant state of conflict, and he made his way to her room. Upon entering, he set the album down on the side table next to her bed. Her room sported an almost Gallifreyan color scheme, supporting his theory of her true origin, but the tears she cried in her sleep nearly robbed him of his resolve. He hated to admit it but he actually cared about the woman, but he had to be cautious. With the Council out to get him, he couldn't take it easy as Susan would say. He had to be vigilant and weary of all that happened around him.

He finally shoved his feelings aside and dragged the blonde out of her bed, waking her harshly. Without a word of explanation to the dazed woman, he got her to her feet and pulled her roughly from the room and into the corridor.

"There's no reason to drag me, Theta. Wherever you're taking me, I'll gladly follow." She complained trying to keep up with his brisk pace.

His jaw clenched slightly when she spoke his academy name, though his hearts fluttered in response. He forced his feelings away once more and sternly reprimanded her.

"You will address me as Doctor and I will shatter this illusion you have created." He snapped continuing to pull her.

She winced slightly from the pressure he was exerting on her arm. He noticed it and loosened his grip marginally. He inwardly growled at his own kindness. He could not afford to be kind and gentle and yet here he was doing just that with this woman.

"No, I will call you Theta, you clot and it's not an illusion. It's a fact. Everything I told Susan was the truth but you're just too pig headed to realize it." She replied hotly.

The Doctor was fighting a smile. The blonde was fiery, feisty, and had a good head on her shoulders. She would make for a decent sparring partner for debates. He inwardly scolded himself. He had to stop liking this woman or she would be the death of him for sure.

"You are delusional, woman. You believe yourself to be human when clearly you are not. You say you have seen my life as a television program which is nothing more than a poor excuse for your temporal perception, and your story about how you arrived on my ship has no basis in fact whatsoever. Everything you have said is completely impossible." He countered directing them down another corridor and towards the med bay.

"Not impossible, just a bit unlikely." She replied smirking slightly.

The Doctor had to stop himself from chuckling.

"Preposterous, who said that?" He demanded.

She smiled slightly, a knowing look in her forest green eyes.

"You did…in your tenth regeneration." She answered.

He snorted in disbelief; though in all honesty, it did sound like something he might say. He mentally shook himself and pulled her into the med bay.

"Lay down." He ordered nearly throwing her into the bio bed.

"You could say please, you arrogant sod." She sassed before doing as he asked.

He walked over to a small console and a flipped a switch. A blue, shimmering bubble appeared briefly before vanishing. He had just activated the bio bed's stasis field, guaranteeing that she would not be able to flee.

"A stasis field, really? Where would I go, you clot? The ship may be an infinite dimension, but there are only so many places I would go. To my room, maybe or perhaps to the library, hm? Maybe find a good novel to read while waiting to jump out of this hell hole and to a Doctor who actually likes me. You're an insufferable jackass, you know that?" She spat her eyes blazing with anger.

The Doctor turned slightly away from her so that she would not see the smile that was fighting its way onto his face. She was such a pistol, wild and courageous; willing to take on even the most daunting of challenges. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to go through with his plan, but he soldiered on. He activated the scanner and it lowered down. A horizontal green beam of light scanned her up and down several times before retracting and moving back to its original position. The screen in front of the bio bed lowered down, revealing the results of the scan.

He turned back to her, his face now void of his earlier amusement. She was still looking at him with those fiery green eyes and he hesitated for a moment. He steeled his resolve and pointed to the screen.

"Look at the screen and tell me you are human, woman." He ordered a somewhat smug smile on his face and arrogance in his tone.

She rolled her eyes at him before turning her head to the screen. Her eyes went wide in shock, her mouth falling open slightly. There on the screen was the internal image of her body. What drew the woman's attention instantly was the fact that she had two hearts.

"Two hearts?" She whispered completely stunned, "But that…how did…why didn't he tell me?"

The Doctor wondered who she was referring to then remembered that Susan mentioned that Artimes had met his future self. He was genuinely surprised by the level of shock the woman was revealing. That was a reaction that could not be fabricated in any way. She was genuinely shocked by what she was seeing.

"I really have lost everything." She continued her tone barely audible as tears began flowing from her eyes once more.

The look of utter devastation was back, but it was so much deeper this time. His breath caught in his throat and guilt bubbled up inside of him. He had honestly thought that by revealing her true species that it would break her delusion of humanity, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. It was never his intention to cause her such distress. He just wanted to help her get past the illusion she had created, but seeing her as she was now…it broke his hearts.

Whatever spark she had left, died as her eyes dulled completely. She just stared at the screen, unmoving and almost lifeless. He had been broken before when she had first arrived, but now he just shattered on the inside. His eyes began to sting as tears threatened to form. He could not bear watching her any longer and he fled from the room, not even bothering to turn off the stasis field. Every fiber of his being was telling him to run…run away from those empty and lost eyes.

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><p>Susan was wandering the corridors in search of Artimes. She had become worried when she had gone to check up on her and did not find her in her room. She had ventured to her grandfather's study to ask him where the blonde woman was, but upon seeing the guilty and heartbroken look in his eyes, she knew he had done something awful and was regretting his decision.<p>

She raced through corridors and searched many rooms, trying to figure out where the blonde would go. Finally, the time ship flashed her lights garnering the dark haired girl's attention.

"Where is she?" Susan asked hoping the ship would lead her to Artimes.

The sentient time ship seemed to have a soft spot for the blonde woman. The lights along a certain corridor darkened, leaving the one to her left illuminated.

"Thank you." Susan stated racing down the hallway.

She practically ran into the med bay and saw Artimes laying on the bio bed. The girl followed the blonde's gaze to the lowered screen and saw the scan results. She now understood why her grandfather was so upset. He had revealed to the blonde woman that she wasn't human at all, but in fact, a Timelady. To be more specific, Artimes was a Silver Regen. Silver regeneration energy functioned on a much lower frequency than gold regeneration energy, thus the reason why they did not undergo a full physical reconstruction. Silvers were easily identified because of the silver in their hair; the very same silver that was in Artimes's hair.

"Artz, you need rest." Susan said softly.

The blonde showed no outward sign that she had heard the dark haired girl. She remained motionless, her dull and empty gaze never wavering from the screen. Susan couldn't imagine what Artimes was going through right now. She had lost all that she held dear, only to learn that she had also lost her humanity as well. The dark haired teen had no idea what it meant to have one's species so completely altered.

"Artz, please…" She started again.

"Why?" The blonde asked her voice void of emotion.

Susan internally cringed.

"You need sleep in order to get your strength back." She answered.

"Even if I wanted to leave, I can't." Artimes replied in that same hollow tone.

"How come?" The girl asked confused.

The blonde raised her right hand slowly. Her fingers brushed against some sort of barrier, a blue shimmer appearing for a second before she lowered her hand again.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" Susan apologized hastily, moving over to the console and disengaging the stasis field.

Even though the stasis field no longer restricted her movements, Artimes continued to lay there unmoving. Susan walked over to her and saw the tear tracks on the woman's face. She brushed her hand through the blonde's hair, trying to be supportive and having no clue as to what to say.

"Please don't give up. Never give up, Artz." The girl whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

She felt so useless. She just wanted to do something to help, but couldn't. She was surprised when Artimes blinked rapidly, a slight spark of light entering her once dull eyes. What had caused that?

"What did you say?" The blonde asked her tone no longer void of emotion and sounding almost desperate.

"Never give up." Susan repeated confused by the woman's sudden shift.

A weak smile appeared on Artimes's face, her eyes softening.

"I had forgotten, but now I remember." She said softly as she sat up, her eyes filling with determination and hope.

Susan steadied her as the blonde swung her legs off the bio bed.

"Forgotten what? Artz, what did you remember?" The girl prompted though she was excited that Artimes seemed to be coming back to herself.

"Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in. The promise he made when he chose his name and the promise I live by." She answered sliding off the bed.

Susan kept her balanced as she watched the blonde pull herself back together by the sheer power of her own will. She had to say she was impressed. She had never seen someone come back from such a devastating loss and actually have the strength to smile.

"Susan, I need your help." Artimes stated looking directly at the girl.

"With what?" Susan asked curiosity and happiness driving her.

"Teach me how to be a Timelord." The blonde requested her tone even and strong.

"It would be my pleasure, Artz." Susan replied beaming at the Timelady.

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><p>Over the next several months, Artimes learned more about Gallifrey, what it meant to be a Timelady, how to sense the timelines, how to use a sonic screwdriver and psychic paper, science and mathematics, history and architecture, astronomy and art, and even mechanics and engineering.<p>

Her friendship with Susan deepened and the two were constantly spending time together. The Doctor and Artimes, however, fought constantly, usually ending with both parties storming off. Susan did her best to pacify her grandfather and his temper and calm the blonde Timelady and her fury. It was a constant struggle to find equilibrium between the trio because both Artimes and the Doctor were extremely stubborn, but somehow a very odd friendship formed out of it…more like a friendship/rivalry.

Artimes and the Doctor were currently in the control room and he was teaching her how to fly the Tardis. These lessons had started up about three months after her arrival and the blonde had the stinking suspicion that this was his way of apologizing to her for leaving her trapped in the stasis field for hours.

"You expect me to believe your story then prove it." He challenged as they moved about the console.

"How am I supposed to do that? We are pre-season one!" She snapped no real heat in her voice.

She had come to enjoy their little debates/arguments. Sure, they got angry with each other quite often, but for some reason it worked for them.

"Something to think about, hm?" He goaded giving her that irksome smug smile of his.

She simply rolled her eyes and they continued her lessons. She really hated that smile of his and he knew it too. He also knew that she would rise to the challenge just as she always has done and will actively seek to prove him wrong…which she has done more times than he would ever care to admit.

A few weeks later, Artimes piloted them to Akhaten and insisted that the Doctor have a vacation and relax. He huffed and moaned the entire time the girls were getting ready. Oddly enough though, he certainly did enjoy himself that day if the smile that never left his face was any indication. Susan and Artimes browsed many of the stalls and conversed with some of the locals. One of them, Artimes recognized. She was pleasantly surprised that Dor'een was still in Akhaten this far back and she ended up having a lovely conversation with the dog woman.

The trio eventually headed back to the Tardis and no more than a week later, Susan approached the blonde with a rather unusual request; though Artimes sort of expected it. She just didn't expect the teen to ask her to get involved.

"Artz, I want to go to school." The dark haired girl stated.

Artimes looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. She had been wondering when Susan would get around to that.

"Good for you. Any particular time period?" The blonde asked knowingly.

"I was thinking sometime in the twentieth century…on Earth, perhaps in England, but Grandfather said no. He doesn't like the idea of staying in one place for very long, but I really want to go. Can you help? He might listen to you." Susan pleaded.

Artimes was honestly surprised that the dark haired girl believed she held any sway over the Doctor whatsoever, but seeing those hope filled eyes…the blonde sighed inwardly. How could she refuse such a request? She would admit that she had an idea about how to get it done, but it would require her to manipulate the Timelord a bit. Artimes smiled at her, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Not to worry, dearie. I know exactly what to say. Leave it to me." The blonde stated confidently, rising from her seat and tossing the book into the chair.

"Really?! Oh thank you, Artz, thank you!" The girl replied happily, hugging Artimes fiercely.

The Timelady laughed merrily, her eyes softening with happiness. She left Susan in the library and went in search of the Doctor. By the time she located him in his study, she had her plan all worked out. She strolled into the room and leaned against the oak desk. She remained silent until the Timelord grunted in annoyance.

"What is it? What do you want?" He asked in exasperation.

Artimes smirked slightly. She always got a kick out of ruffling his feathers. He could be such an easy target sometimes.

"You're so desperate to prove me wrong, yes?" She asked putting her plan into motion.

"What of it?" He demanded staring stonily at her.

"Susan wants to go to school…" She started.

"Out of the question." He cut off, his tone firm.

She smirked again.

"Not so fast, my dear Theta. Season one of the show begins after Susan has been attending school for a little over five months." Artimes stated dangling the proverbial carrot.

His eyes snapped to hers. That definitely caught his attention.

"Is that so?" He asked quietly, the gears already turning at lightning speed in his mind.

"Oh yes. Susan will be followed home by two of her teachers. Barbara Wright, teacher of history and Ian Chesterton, teacher of science. They'll force their way onto the ship and you'll have a decision to make; let them go or kidnap them." She continued giving him a smug smile to goad him on.

"If I did bring them along, where would our first trip be?" He asked.

He was falling quickly into her trap. She just needed to give him one more push.

"Not where but when. The year one hundred thousand BC. The time of cave men and fire. Oh of course, Ian will be a disbelieving prat and Barbara will think of it as a game or an illusion. Did I mention that you get knocked out by a cave man and then forced to 'make fire'?" She continued using air quotes at the end.

"Preposterous. I will simply have to prove to you what is reality and what is fiction." He stated sternly, rising from his chair and walking briskly out of the room.

Hook, line, and sinker. She grinned like the Cheshire cat, quite happy with herself at that moment, and did a little victory dance in her mind. She laughed quietly and returned to the library. She watched Susan pace back and forth, a worried expression on her face.

"You might want to dress in the twentieth century fashion, dearie, because you're off to school in the morning." The blonde stated grinning cheekily.

The dark haired teen let out a squeal of delight and launched herself at the Timelady, hugging her happily.

"I love you so much, Artz! Thank you!" The girl replied.

Artimes returned the hug, her eyes soft and warm at the girl's declaration. She laughed when Susan began jumping up and down in excitement and the blonde ushered her from the room. The ecstatic duo journeyed to the wardrobe to pick out the perfect outfit for the girl's first day of school.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long to get Susan enrolled at Coal High School and the girl was very happy. The Doctor and Artimes were not as enthused. The pair had ventured out several times over the last five months and they were both pretty bored. She honestly didn't like the time period. Everything was just so blasé and dull. America in sixties was much more entertaining. The Timelord echoed her sentiment and through their shared boredom, they found some middle ground. Their arguments became less heated and turned into lengthy debates, commonly leaving both parties smiling at having a decent verbal sparring partner.<p>

Artimes continued her flying lessons, but without the actual flying. She was actually rather good. According to Susan, she was better than the Doctor. The Doctor also taught her how to repair the Tardis and introduced her to the joy of tinkering. The two were always getting into some form of mischief or another and Susan would always scold them after she came home from school. Both Timelords would simply smile at her innocently causing all three of them to laugh.

As of right now, the Timelady was currently alone in the control room while the Doctor was out and about and Susan was due to arrive soon. As if on cue, she saw the dark haired teen in the monitor so she snapped her fingers. The doors to the Tardis slid open with a beautiful mechanical hum that she always enjoyed. Susan walked in, smiling at the blonde woman. Artimes snapped her fingers again and the doors closed. Susan chuckled and shook her head at the Timelady's childish behavior.

Susan left briefly to get changed and Artimes smirked slightly as she caught sight of Ian and Barbara in the monitor. It was happening just like she remembered which meant they would be leaving shortly and finally get away from this God forsaken time period. Susan returned and started looking over the controls absentmindedly, waiting for the Doctor to come back. Speak of him and he shall come. The Timelord approached the police box, a look of concentration on his face. Artimes wondered briefly about what he could be thinking about this time.

"There you are, Grandfather!" Susan said happily, noticing his return.

Artimes stopped the girl from going to the door to greet him.

"Not yet." She whispered to her, a knowing look in her eyes.

Susan nodded, immediately recognizing and understanding that look instantly. Artimes was up to something and it had to do with the events that were currently unfolding. The Timelady never acted without reason so the dark haired girl chose to heed her.

Artimes snickered a bit when the Doctor was confronted by the two teachers and he was trying to talk his way out of things. The Timelord was too early in his personal timeline to comprehend humans very well at this point and it was hilarious watching his reactions. It served him right for constantly doubting her, just desserts and all that. The two teachers began to leave and Artimes knew she needed to step in.

"Now, Susan." She whispered nodding to the switch that controlled the doors.

"What are you doing out there?" Susan called flipping the switch and opening the door.

"She's in there!" Ian yelled.

"Close the door!" The Doctor commanded.

Susan looked to Artimes for guidance. The Timelady shook her head and kept her eyes trained on the door.

"Barbara!" Ian yelled again.

Barbara ran into the console room and stopped dead in her tracks, frozen in shock. Ian and the Doctor followed shortly. The science teacher was completely flabbergasted and was in a state of awe.

"Close the doors, Susan." The Timelord ordered.

The dark haired teen flipped the switch and the doors closed.

"I believe these people are known to you." The Doctor stated slightly agitated.

"I'll say, they're two of her teachers." Artimes commented smirking at the irate Timelord.

He huffed and refused to look at the blonde woman.

"What are you doing here?" Susan asked stunned that two of her teachers would follow her.

"Where are we?" Barbara countered looking around in wonder.

"They must have followed her home. It was bound to happen since we've been in one place for so long." The Timelady commented coming to stand next to the Doctor.

"That ridiculous school. I knew it was a bad idea." He replied sulking.

Artimes shook her head fondly before patting him on the shoulder in a consoling manner. He glared at her, but he could not conceal the amusement in his eyes. He always livened up when something new or interesting happened and well this particular situation provided him with an excellent distraction.

"But why should they follow me home?" Susan asked irritated.

"I should think it was obvious. What is the one thing the human race is known for?" Artimes asked.

"Their ignorance." The Doctor grumbled quietly.

The blonde Timelady shot him a look and he just smirked.

"Their curiosity." Artimes explained.

"Is this really where you live, Susan?" Barbara asked earning glares from both Timelords at her tone.

"Yes." The dark haired teen responded equally perturbed by the question.

"And what's wrong with it?" The blonde demanded immediately becoming defensive of the Old Girl.

No one insulted the Tardis with Artimes around. The sentient space/time ship was wonderful and amazing and she took excellent care of them. The Tardis brushed lovingly against her mind, pleased by the Timelady's devotion. The Doctor placed a hand on the blonde's arm and she calmed slightly. She glanced at him and saw the mischievous gleam in his eyes. It seemed the Doctor wanted to shake things up a bit and she was more than happy to play along. She nodded her approval and his eyes lit up. He sent her a small smile of appreciation and she returned it with a smile of her own.

"But it was just a telephone box…" Ian started trialing off.

"Ya think?" Artimes muttered under her breath.

"Perhaps." The Doctor replied agreeing with the Timelady.

"And this is your grandfather and who's she?" Barbara questioned gesturing to the Timelords.

"Yes and she's Artz." Susan answered not liking this conversation one little bit.

"Well, why didn't you tell us that?" Barbara demanded.

"I don't discuss my private life with strangers." He retorted clearly unimpressed by the humans.

"But it was a telephone box. I walked all around it! Barbara, you saw me!" Ian exclaimed in disbelief.

The Doctor guided Artimes over to an antique ormolu clock on a nearby stand.

"You don't deserve any explanations. You pushed your way in here, uninvited and unwelcome." The Doctor snapped.

Artimes rubbed the Timelord's arm and he glanced down at her, his eyes softening slightly.

"I think we ought to leave…" Barbara started becoming a little overwhelmed by everything that was happening.

"No, just a minute." Ian replied crossing over to the Timelords, a determined expression on his face.

"Dear, dear, dear, this is very…" The Doctor mumbled gesturing to the clock.

"I know this is absurd, but I feel…I walked all around it!" Ian ranted.

"It stopped again. Oh and the chameleon circuit is going to get stuck too." The blonde commented leaning closer to the clock.

"Preposterous." The Doctor countered giving the Timelady a disbelieving look.

She simply shrugged and nodded towards the science teacher. The Timelord looked at the confused man, finally noticing him.

"Oh, you wouldn't understand at all." He stated dismissively.

The Timelords proceeded to ignore the floundering teacher and walked over to the console. Ian followed after them, still trying to get answers.

"But I want to understand!" Ian exclaimed very frustrated.

Artimes rolled her eyes, earning a small chuckle from the Doctor.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." He replied completely uninterested.

Artimes giggled and the Timelord smiled at her, pleased by the sound. He had grown quite fond of her and she held a special place in his hearts, just like Susan.

"Oh by the way, Susan, I've managed to find a replacement for that faulty filament. Bit of a amateur job, but I…er…I think it'll serve. What do you think, Artz?" He continued taking an electronic object out of his pocket and handing it to the blonde.

She took it and turned it this way and that, scrutinizing it for several moments.

"Should be alright." She commented walking around the console.

She inserted the object into the console and the Timelords started effecting repairs. The Doctor smiled at Artimes, his eyes shining with pride at how easily she was working the controls. She smiled back at him and gave him a look that said 'I had a good teacher'. His expression shifted to one of smugness and arrogance, making her laugh softly at his behavior. The two had settled into a moderately easy friendship with decent chemistry and the Doctor was grateful that they had moved past most of their problems.

"It's an illusion. It must be." Ian piped up.

"What is he talking about now?" The Doctor asked looking at the Timelady.

"No idea. I started tuning him out five minutes ago." The blonde answered shrugging.

The pair went back to their work, ignoring the other occupants in the room.

"What are you doing here?" Susan demanded since her grandfather and Artimes seemed to be uninterested.

"You don't understand, so you find excuses. Illusions, indeed? You say you can't fit an enormous building into one of your smaller sitting rooms?" The Doctor questioned making the blonde snort in amusement.

This was the beginning of a debate and too bad for Ian that he was ill equipped to take on the Timelords in a verbal sparring match.

"No." Ian answered immediately as if the answer was obvious.

"But you've discovered television, haven't you?" Artimes piped up, crossing her arms and leaning against the console.

"Yes…" He answered unsure of where she was going with this.

"Then by showing an enormous building on your television screen, you can do what seemed impossible, could you not?" Artimes postulated earning a proud look from the Doctor.

"Well…yes, but I still don't know…" Ian answered still disbelieving.

Artimes inwardly face palmed at the idiocy of the human race. She was never this stupid as a human, was she? No, she understood the concept of dimensional dams from watching Doctor Who. She could feel a headache coming on. It usually happened when she tried to explain something using the simplest version possible. She much preferred the Doctor's techno babble over this any day.

"It's not quite clear, is it? I can see by your face that you're not certain. You don't understand." The Doctor stated laughing a bit, "And we knew you wouldn't! Nevermind."

Both Timelords turned back to the console, more than a little fed up with the humans and their disbelief.

"Now then, which switch was it? Artz?" The Doctor rambled.

Artimes reached across the console and flipped the switch he had been looking for.

"Ah yes, that was it. Thank you, Artz." He said glancing back at the humans briefly, "What is going to happen to you, hm?"

The blonde rolled her eyes at his theatrics. The Doctor looked over at Susan.

"They'll tell everybody about the ship now." He continued.

"The ship?" Ian echoed.

"Yes, the ship, you clot! This doesn't roll along wheels, you know!" Artimes sassed.

"You mean…it moves?" Barbara asked.

"The Tardis can go anywhere." Susan answered like it was obvious.

"The Tardis? I don't understand you, Susan." The history teacher said confused.

"T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Susan made up the name from the initials. Quite brilliant, really. Suits the Old Girl nicely, don't you think?" Artimes explained still fiddling with the controls.

"I'd thought you both would understand when you saw the different dimensions inside from those outside." Susan commented slightly put out.

"Let me get this straight. A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard…it can move anywhere in time and space?!" Ian asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" Susan answered.

"Ding, ding, ding! Correct answer!" Artimes stated sarcastically, walking over to stand next to Susan with her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Quite so." The Doctor concurred realizing that the Timelady was quickly losing her composure.

He had been on the receiving end of her anger many times before and he knew better than to incite her wrath so quickly. It usually ended in a massive explosion of emotion for all involved, but it would seem that the humans and their ignorance were pushing her too far, too quickly.

"But that's ridiculous!" Ian exclaimed.

"Why won't they believe us?" Susan asked looking to Artimes for answers.

"Well, how can we?" Barbara countered.

"The simplest explanation is that they're thick, Susan." Artimes snapped dropping her arms to her side, her hands fisted in anger.

The Doctor walked over to his girls, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. He needed to calm his girls before the situation got out of control.

"Now, now, don't get exasperated, Susan, Artz. Remember the Red Indian. When he saw the first steam train, his savage mind thought it an illusion too." The Timelord placated squeezing the blonde's shoulder to calm her.

"You're treating us like children!" Ian shouted in outrage.

"Are we? The children of our civilization would be insulted." The Doctor snapped.

Artimes reached up with her right hand and covered the one touching her shoulder. She was honestly touched that he would include her with the others of his race. She still considered herself an echo of a Timelord, but the Doctor always viewed her as so much more. He had actually yelled at her once for even suggesting that she was anything less than the Timelady he believed her to be.

"Your civilization?" Ian echoed.

"Yes, our civilization. Artz and I tolerate this century, but we do not enjoy it. Have you ever thought about what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Have you? To be exiles? Susan, Artz, and I are cut off from our own planet, without friends or protection. But one day…" The Doctor explained looking down at the Timelady, "We shall get back. Yes, one day…one day…"

Susan moved a little closer to her teachers, leaving her grandfather's grasp. Artimes turned around a bit and whispered in the Doctor's ear.

"You will, Theta. You will return to Gallifrey one day, I promise." She whispered pulling back to look at his face.

She could see the desperation in his eyes. He wanted to believe her and he was starting to because there was a small glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"It's true. Every word of it is true. You don't know what you've done in coming here." Susan told her teachers, slightly distraught.

Susan turned back to the Timelords.

"Grandfather, Artz, let them go now, please! Look, if they don't understand, they can't…they can't hurt us at all! I understand these people better than you do…their minds reject things they don't understand." Susan pleaded.

The Doctor's icy look was his answer and Artimes simply gave her an apologetic look.

"No." Both Timelords said together before walking to the back of the room.

They ignored the conversation between the humans and Susan.

"What do you think, Artz?" The Doctor spoke quietly.

"Two choices: we let them go and hope they don't reveal our secret or we take them with us, show them the wonders of time and space, gain their trust, and then return them to Earth after earning their friendship. I should think that the decision was obvious." Artimes answered keeping her tone low.

"Agreed. Will you assist?" He asked.

"Oh yeah." Artimes answered with a smirk on her face.

They returned to the console. The Doctor fiddled with some of the controls and a high pitched whining sound echoed through the room briefly. The Doctor laughed and the blonde chuckled at his antics. Ian pointed at the console.

"He closed the doors from over there. I saw it." Ian started moving over to the console, "Now which is it? Which is it? Which control operates the door?"

"You still think it's all an illusion." Artimes commented.

"I know free movement in time and space is a scientific dream I don't expect to find solved in a junkyard!" Ian snapped hotly towards the Timelady.

A flash of anger flitted across the Doctor's face at how the human addressed the blonde woman. He had grown to care for her greatly over the past year and he wasn't about to let some stupid ape speak to her in such a manner. He flipped a switch on the console, the only one that noticed was Artimes who sighed heavily.

"Oh, your arrogance is nearly as great as your ignorance!" The Doctor replied laughing.

"Will you open the door? Open the door!" Ian commanded as the Doctor laughed again, "Susan, will you help us?"

The dark haired teen looked between Artimes, the Doctor, and her teachers for a few moments.

"I mustn't! I mustn't!" Susan replied upset.

Ian sighed and faced the console once more.

"Very well then. I'll have to risk it myself." Ian stated.

The Timelords watched on in amusement.

"We can't stop you." The Doctor commented smirking slightly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Artimes warned her own smirk firmly in place.

Susan's eyes widened as she realized what the Timelady meant.

"Oh, don't touch it! It's live!" Susan shouted trying to warn him but it was too late.

Ian pressed a button on the console and was shocked, being flung away and onto the floor.

"Ian!" Barbara cried out, helping him up before shouting at the Timelords, "What on earth do you think you're doing?!"

Artimes crossed her arms.

"Proving a point, I hope." The blonde sassed.

"Grandfather, Artz, let them go now! Please!" Susan begged.

"Sorry, Susan." The Timelady apologized.

"By tomorrow we shall be a public spectacle. A subject for news and idle gossip." The Doctor stated.

They returned to the console. Susan moved to stop them.

"But they won't say anything." The girl replied.

"Think about it, Susan. We just turned their world upside down with the concept of space/time travel and a bigger on the inside police box. They are going to talk. They'll go to the authorities; they'll try to figure out what all this is. It'll just end up hurting us, Susan. Please understand." Artimes explained remembering the countless times people were put at risk and hurt when humans were searching for the truth.

"There's no alternative, child." The Doctor concurred seeing the haunted look in the Timelady's eyes.

"I want to stay! Look, they're both kind people. Why won't you two just trust them? All you've got to do is ask them to promise to keep our secret and…" Susan pleaded.

"Out of the question." Artimes snapped hotly, remembering how Adam had betrayed the Doctor on Satellite Five.

"I won't go! I won't leave the twentieth century. I'd rather leave the Tardis and you two!" Susan exclaimed.

Hurt flashed across the Timelady's eyes and the Doctor felt the sting of guilt and regret. He had no intention of things getting this far with his little game with the humans. He was honestly surprised that his granddaughter would abandon the Timelady so readily.

"Now you're being sentimental and childish!" The Timelord snapped.

"No, I mean it." Susan stated firmly.

The Doctor looked over at the blonde Timelady and saw her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The look in his eyes conveyed his request and she smiled slightly, nodding her head in agreement.

"Very well. Then you must go with them. I'll open the door." He said softly.

"Are you coming, Susan?" Barbara asked holding her arm out to the girl.

The Timelords locked gazes for a moment and then with lightning speed, they started flipping switches simultaneously.

"Oh no Grandfather, Artz, no!" Susan shouted trying to stop them.

They kept activating controls despite Susan's best efforts. The room started to shake as the lighting within pulsed. Instruments and dials on the console burst to life. The shaking became worse and the teachers were flung across the room. Barbara landed in a chair while Ian fell to the floor. A raucous grinding engine sound rose and fell throughout the room; the cylindrical column began to rise and fall. London vanished and they slowly materialized in a desert.

Artimes ignored the barely aware humans as they began to stir and moved over to the Doctor, helping him check the controls and surrounding area.

"The base is steady; sand, rock formation, most likely a desert of some kind." Artimes piped up.

"We've left nineteen sixty three." Susan commented.

"Hallelujah." The blonde mumbled earning a small smile from the Timelord.

"Oh yes, undoubtedly. I'll be able to where presently." He started blinking at the console readout, "Zero? That's not right. I'm afraid this yearometer is not calculating properly."

"It's the year one hundred thousand BC, you clot. Cave men, fire, Cave of Skulls and you'll get knocked out by a cave man named Kal." Artimes hissed under her breath, making the Timelord shoot her a disbelieving look.

"Well, anyway, the journey's finished." He retorted before looking down at Ian, who was still sitting on the floor, "What are you doing down there?"

"What have you done?" Barbara demanded.

"Barbara, you don't believe all this nonsense?" Ian asked in disbelief.

Artimes tuned out a vast majority of the conversation, simply too tired of the humans and their stupidity. She didn't tune back in until Barbara spoke up.

"I can't help it! I just believe them, that's all!" The history teacher exclaimed.

"If you could touch the alien sand and hear the cries of strange birds and watch them wheel in another sky…would that satisfy you?" Artimes snapped wanting to be done with this nonsense.

"Yes." Ian replied giving the Timelady a hard look.

"As you wish." The blonde answered raising her right hand and snapping her fingers.

The doors opened with a soft, mechanical hum, revealing the desert outside.

"Now, see for yourself." The Doctor said smugly.

"It's not true! It can't be." Ian whispered in complete shock.

"That's not on the screen!" Susan stated in triumph.

"Well, we've no more time to argue with you. Artz and I must get some samples, Susan." The Doctor informed moving over to a small table near the doors and gathering up a small electronic instrument and a shoulder bag.

Artimes grabbed her own shoulder bag and followed the Timelord.

"Be careful, Grandfather, Artz!" Susan called after them.

The pair strode out of the Tardis, leaving Susan and the humans behind to talk amongst themselves.

"There is no shame in admitting that I was right, Theta." The blonde spoke quietly.

"I will not validate your claims until I have concrete evidence to support them; however, I am…more open to the possibility." The Doctor replied.

That was as good as she was going to get from the Timelord. After a year of being with the arrogant sod, it was long overdue. She tapped his shoulder and gestured behind them and towards the Tardis. He looked back and frowned at the police box.

"It's still a police box. Why hasn't it changed? Dear, dear, how very disturbing." He muttered to himself.

"I told you the chameleon circuit was going to get stuck, didn't I?" The blonde reminded as they continued deeper into the desert.

Upon reaching an adequate spot, they knelt down and started pulling out objects from the Doctor's shoulder bag.

"Do yourself a favor and don't light your pipe. That is what gets you knocked out by the cave man." The blonde commented.

"Preposterous." He mumbled.

They collected several samples, the Timelady trying to convince him of future events. Despite her warnings, the Doctor pulled out his pipe and lit it with a match. Kal jumped towards them with a roar.

"Look out!" Artimes yelled pushing the Timelord out of the way.

The cave man hit the blonde with the back of his axe, knocking her to the ground out cold. The Doctor barely gained his senses before his world went dark.

* * *

><p>The Doctor slowly awoke, his mind immediately focused on locating Artimes.<p>

"Ugh…Artz…where's…" He started slowly getting his bearings.

He was surrounded by cave men and women, who were shouting 'Fire, fire!'.

"My creature…can make fire from his fingers! I have seen it. But I, Kal, brought him and his woman here. They are mine!" Kal ranted.

Za and Kal got into a disagreement, several others got involved. The Doctor had had enough of this foolishness and got off the rock he was on. He noticed Artimes being held by two of the cave men. The right side of her head was bleeding and he was surprised by the coloring of it. Timelords had blue blood, but her blood was red like a human's. Could she have been telling the truth all this time? He refocused quickly on the cave men.

"I can make fire for you! Let us go and I will make all the fire you want!" He stated taking a step towards the tribes-people, who stepped back from him in fear, "You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm an old man. How can an old man like me harm any of you, huh?"

"They don't understand, Theta." Artimes spoke quietly.

The Doctor started checking his pockets as the cave men continued to talk. His eyes widened as his search became more frantic.

"He will make it for me." Za stated boldly.

"My matches! Where are they? We need to get back to the ship." He mumbled glancing toward the blonde worriedly.

Artimes knew things were getting bad. They had to hold out until Susan and the others came then everything would be alright.

"Make fire! Make fire! Make fire now or your woman dies!" Kal threatened.

The Timelady felt her blood freeze. That wasn't supposed to happen. Fear crept into her eyes as she looked at the Doctor.

"I cannot make fire!" The Timelord yelled trying to regain control of the situation.

Kal stomped over to Artimes and grabbed her hair roughly. She cried out as he yanked her forward until she was in front of the Doctor.

"Make fire now or she dies!" Kal commanded reaching for his stone knife.

The Doctor stared into her eyes, seeing the sheer terror in those forest green pools. she hadn't known this was coming which further solidified what she told him about the originator complex.

"I can't!" He insisted his hearts beating wildly in his chest.

He pulled out his knife and stabbed the Timelady in the center of her chest.

"No!" The Doctor cried out as the action was repeated twice more.

The blonde woman fell forward and into his arms. He sank to the ground and cradled her to his chest. The pain and fear in her eyes made tears come to his own.

"Theta…I'm scared." She whispered her skin beginning to pale and cool as her life essence flowed out of her body, soaking her shirt in blood.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He apologized his voice cracking slightly.

The moment he said those words, she smiled, her eyes softening with warmth and forgiveness. Her eyes closed as she began to glow with a silver light and in a flash she was gone. She had spoken the truth about jumping through space and time. She had spoken the truth when she had said that lighting his pipe would result in them being kidnapped. She had spoken the truth about so many things; Ian and Barbara, the chameleon circuit, the time period they were in.

She had always spoken the truth and he had refused to believe her. Now she was dying somewhere in time and space and there was a very slim chance of her surviving. There was a big difference between the regeneration cycles of gold regens and silver regens. Golds regenerated when their death was imminent. Silvers shared this ability but only after their first regeneration.

Artimes had never regenerated before and she was not a natural born Timelady. She did not how to activate her regeneration cycle consciously. He hadn't bothered teaching her how, because he hadn't believed her story about her being human. His arrogance and pride had killed the woman who had become a very dear friend to him and he knew one thing for certain; he would never forgive himself for the rest of his very long life.

* * *

><p>Lady A: There you have it! Chapter 2: The Unearthly Child is complete! Took me two days to type it up. Whew! As you can see, not all things are sunshine and daisies between Artimes and the Doctor, but the question remains: What will happen to Artimes? Oh she survives yes, but how does that go down and with whom? You'll just have to wait and see. Leave tons of reviews and be on the lookout for Chapter 3: The Orb of Life! Stay tuned!<p> 


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